New Delhi:

Retired Army Chief General VK Singh and former CBI Director M Nageswara Rao have clashed over the alleged torture and sexual assault of an Army officer’s fiancee at a police station in Odisha. The incident took place in Bhubaneswar on the night of September 15 and has sparked widespread outrage.

General VK Singh, in a social media post, described the treatment of the woman, the fiancee of an Army officer, as “shameful and horrendous.” General Singh condemned the handling of the situation by the Odisha Police and demanded immediate action against the officers involved.

“Everyone must listen to the daughter of a retired Army officer. What happened to her in Bharatpur police station in Odisha is shameful. The Odisha Chief Minister should take swift action against the police personnel and those shielding the criminals in uniform,” General Singh stated in his post.

According to the victim’s account, she was allegedly thrashed and sexually assaulted inside Bharatpur police station after she and her fiance attempted to file a complaint regarding a road rage incident. The Army officer was allegedly illegally detained by the police.

In a counter-response, former CBI Director M Nageswara Rao, an Odisha-cadre IPS officer, painted a different picture. Mr Rao disputed General Singh’s allegations and accused the Army officer and his fiancee of being drunk and behaving inappropriately.

“An Army officer and his fiancee consumed alcohol and drove through the city late at night. They were involved in a brawl with engineering students and later created a scene at Bharatpur police station. When asked to undergo a medical examination and blood test, they refused, which is a standard part of the investigation,” Mr Rao claimed. 

He further defended the police, stating that the Odisha Police, which manages more than 600 police stations, had no reason to misbehave with visitors, including Army personnel. Mr Rao urged General Singh to reconsider his stance, adding that it is improper to castigate the police for the actions of an individual Army officer.

“It is not appropriate for a former Chief of Army Staff and Central Minister to jump to conclusions and criticize the police for the alleged drunken misconduct of the Army officer and his fiancee. However, I would not question the Indian Army’s discipline based on one individual’s actions. I urge the Army to take appropriate action against this officer for conduct unbecoming of a soldier,” Mr Rao concluded.

In the midst of these allegations, videos showing the couple in a physical altercation with a group of people surfaced on social media. 
While the Army veterans have rallied around the officer and his fiancee, retired police officers, including Mr Rao, have defended the actions of the Odisha Police and have raised questions about the behaviour of the couple.

Several retired Army officers have taken to social media to criticise the Odisha Police, urging the Defence Ministry to intervene.

The Odisha government has responded by suspending five police personnel involved in the incident and ordering a judicial inquiry. The state’s crime branch is investigating the allegations, and the government has provided security to the Army officer and his fiancee in light of the case.

Following a meeting with Odisha’s Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the woman expressed relief and hope for justice, stating that she feared for her safety given the nature of the allegations. She also confirmed that both she and her fiance had accepted the government’s offer of personal security officers (PSOs) for their protection.

Ghaziabad:

Union minister and BJP MP from Ghaziabad Gen (retd) V K Singh on Sunday said he will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and also for Road Transport and Highways represented the Ghaziabad constituency for two terms since 2014.

“I have dedicated my entire life to the service of this nation as a soldier. For the last 10 years, I have worked tirelessly to fulfill the dream of making Ghaziabad a world-class city. In this journey, I am grateful for the trust and love that I have received from the people of the country and Ghaziabad as well as from the members of the BJP. This emotional bond is priceless to me,” Mr Singh posted in Hindi on X.

मैंने सैनिक के रूप में इस राष्ट्र की सेवा में अपना सारा जीवन समर्पित किया है। पिछले 10 वर्षों से, मैंने गाजियाबाद को एक विश्व स्तरीय शहर बनाने के सपने को पूरा करने के लिए अथक परिश्रम किया है। इस यात्रा में, देश और गाजियाबाद के नागरिकों के साथ-साथ भाजपा के सदस्यों का जो विश्वास और…

— Gen VK Singh(MODI KA PARIWAR) (@Gen_VKSingh) March 24, 2024

“With these feelings, I have made a difficult, but thoughtful decision. I will not contest the 2024 elections. This decision was not easy for me, but I have taken it from the bottom of my heart. I want to take my energy and time in new directions, where I can serve my country in a different way,” Mr Singh added.

Further in the same post, he thanked people for their support and faith in him, saying he would continue his service towards the country and all the citizens, “just in a new form”, Mr Singh tagged PM Narendra Modi, BJP president J P Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the prime minister’s office (PMO) in his social media post.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Dausa (Rajasthan):

Union Minister and former Army chief General VK Singh has claimed that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would merge with India soon “on its own”.

“PoK will merge with India on its own, wait for some time,” the Union minister for State said while responding to a query in a press conference here in Dausa regarding demands of Shia Muslims in PoK seeking opening of border crossing with India.

The minister was addressing a press conference in Dausa during a Parivartan Sankalp Yatra (PSY) programme of the BJP.

The Union minister also spoke about the success of the recently concluded G20 Summit under India’s presidency. He said that that the grandeur of the summit has given India a unique identity on the world stage and the country has proved its mettle in the world.

“The G-20 meeting was unprecedented. It has never been done before nor any other country except India can organise a summit like this. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has proved its mettle in the world. The G-20 group includes all the powerful countries of the world,” Mr Singh said.

Further, coming down heavily on the Rajasthan Government over the law and order situation, the minister alleged that under the current Congress government, the state is troubled by the poor law and order situation.

“This was the reason why the BJP had to organise the Parivartan Sankalp Yatra to go among the people and listen to them. The people want a parivartan (change) and they are coming with us on this yatra and have made up their mind to bring about change,” he said, adding that the yatra is getting immense public support across the state.

On the question about the BJP’s chief minister’s face in the state for the upcoming assembly elections, V K Singh said that the BJP does not declare the chief minister’s face wherever elections are held, but contests elections only on the charisma of the Prime Minister.

“Everyone should assume that the party will give opportunity to such leaders who are good, useful and on whom the public has confidence,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)