Days after an Army officer and his female friend accused the Odisha police of assault, the woman on Thursday elaborated on their ordeal.
Speaking to the media, the woman, a friend of the Army officer, who was taken into custody by Bharatpur police on Sunday night and later released on bail, recounted that she and her friend were returning home after closing her restaurant around 1 am when they were allegedly harassed by a group of young men. They immediately went to the Bharatpur police station to seek help.
"When we arrived at the police station to file an FIR, a female constable in civilian clothing was present. We asked for assistance and a patrol vehicle, but instead, she verbally abused me," the woman alleged.
The woman, who is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, said the situation escalated after more personnel arrived at the police station and asked her friend to write a complaint.
"I don't know what happened, but they put him in the lockup. When I raised my voice, saying they cannot detain an Army officer as it is unlawful, two female officers started physically assaulting me," she alleged.
She said she fought back, even biting one officer when she attempted to grab her by the neck.
The woman further claimed that after being restrained and placed in a room, a male officer entered, kicked her multiple times, and made lewd gestures. She alleged that the officer exposed himself and asked her how long she planned to remain silent.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognizance of the incident and demanded an action report from the Director General of Police (DGP) within three days. "Urgent disciplinary action is expected," the NCW stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Moreover, it is pertinent to note that, a case has been registered at Chandaka police station against the unidentified individuals who allegedly harassed the woman and the Army officer before their arrest. Further investigations are underway.
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