Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police on Friday apprehended seven individuals accused of harassing an Army officer and his fiancée on the night of September 14 while they were traveling by car from Patia. The suspects were taken into custody following an examination of CCTV footage related to the incident.
According to sources, the accused are currently being interrogated at the Chandaka police station, and further investigations are underway. The incident, which involved alleged assault and harassment, sparked outrage after it was reported that the Army officer and his fiancée were subjected to intimidation while driving through the area.
In response to the situation, Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania directed local authorities on Thursday to register a case against the accused hooligans. The swift action led to the identification and apprehension of the seven suspects.
In a related development, earlier in the day, the Crime Branch registered a criminal case against five police officers, including the Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of Bharatpur police station, for allegedly harassing and misbehaving with the Army officer and his fiancée. The couple had approached the police station to file a complaint about the harassment they faced on the road, but instead were reportedly mistreated by the officers present.
The Crime Branch’s decision to register a criminal case against the accused policemen followed a formal complaint submitted by the Army officer, in which he detailed the inappropriate conduct by the Bharatpur police officials during their visit to report the incident.