Odisha Police orders investigation into incident at Bharatpur station involving Army Captain and his fiancée

Image used for representational purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

Amid accusations and counter-accusations between the police at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar and an Army Capt. Guruvansh and his fiancée Ankita alleging misconduct by the other side, Odisha police announced an investigation by the crime branch into the entire incident.

While the Captain has since been released on bail, his fiancée continues to remain in custody and, according to Army sources, has a broken jaw and severe injuries.

In the day, a senior Army officer met the Superintendent of the jail and also spoke to Ms. Ankita, the access which was denied earlier. The medical officer in the jail has confirmed severe injuries to her, a source said and Army has requested a re-medical examination.

“We have already started investigation into the incident. Our mandate is to ensure a fair investigation as two opposite parties have accused each other of ill-treatment. There is no time frame fixed to complete investigation,” Arun Bothra, Additional Director General of Police (Crime Branch), Odisha Police said on Tuesday (September 17, 2024).

“An incident of manhandling of an Army officer by Police Station, Bharatpur, Odisha has been reported in media. Indian Army takes a serious view of the incidence. Necessary action has been taken up with the state authorities,” the Army’s Lucknow-based Central Command said in social media ‘X’ on Monday.

According to the incident report with the Army and the couple’s version, at approximately 01.30 hours, early hours on Sunday the couple were travelling in their vehicle in Bhuvneshwar, Odisha, when they were harassed and abused by 12-13 individuals in three vehicles who were engaged in rash driving. The couple managed to get away and reached Bharatpur Police Station to file a complaint as they have noted the registration number of one of the cars, sources said. However, at the station things spiralled out of control with different versions by the police and the couple.

According to the couple, at the police station there only a lady Assistant Sub-Inspector and few constables on duty, with no police station incharge present. When they tried to register a complaint, they insisted on first getting a medical examination done and a complaint when the station incharge arrives. The police patrol came back at 2.45 a.m. with two more lady officers and four male officers. The couple allege that the lady ASI on her duty hours was not in her uniform and uncooperative. When they insisted on their complaint being registered, the lady was verbally abused. Capt. Gurvansh started to make a video of the incident in his mobile phone showing the reluctance of police to take action and their abusive behaviour, which further agitated the police, sources said. The couple was physically held, stripped of all belongings and detailed in a cell, while the lady was beaten, assaulted and molested, they allege.

However, the police allege that the couple were in an inebriated state and Ms. Ankita assaulted the women police and even ransacked the office stationeries when asked to give a written complaint, in order to take action against the culprits. They denied to undergo the breathe analyser test at the police station and denied for collection of blood sample for determination of alcohol content at the hospital as well, the police alleged.

Following this the police said a case was registered, a notice was issued to the Captain while Ms. Ankita was arrested and forwarded to the Court, the police stated.

A party of one Junior Commissioned Officer and three jawans from the nearby battalion was dispatched to police station to help the officer and his fiancée, sources said.

After a medical examination in the day which confirmed that the lady’s jaw has been dislocated, nose broken and several other wound marks on the body, the couple allege that they were taken to police station in the evening where fake charges were filed against the lady and she was arrested. On the way to take her to magistrate, the police even tried to tamper with the evidence and recorded that Ms. Ankita had no injuries.