Bhubaneswar:

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday ordered a judicial inquiry into the alleged torture of an Army officer and the sexual assault of his fiancee at a police station here.

The state government is committed to taking strict action against all persons or officials who are found guilty, the chief minister said.

He issued the order for judicial inquiry after a discussion with his deputy chief ministers K V Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, Law Minister Pritihiviraj Harichandan and senior officers.

According to a statement released by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the judicial inquiry will be presided over by Justice Chittaranjan Das and the report will be filed within 60 days.

The state government also requested the Orissa High Court to supervise the investigation being carried out by the Crime Branch of the Odisha Police.

While emphasising on the rule of the law, Chief Minister Majhi said the state government respects the Indian Army. “The state government is fully concerned about the dignity, safety and rights of women,” the CMO said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the state government has suspended five police personnel of the Bharatpur police station and registered a case against them over the charges of torturing the Army officer and sexually harassing his fiancee.

The state government also maintained the youths who were accused of misbehaving with the Army officer and his fiancee on the road on the night of September 15 were arrested and produced in court.

Earlier, on the instructions of the chief minister, the complainants held a meeting with the two deputy chief ministers, the revenue minister and the law minister at the State Guest House. The woman’s father and other senior serving Army officers were also present, the CMO said.

BJD president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik had demanded a court monitored SIT probe and a judicial inquiry into the incident. The opposition party has also called for a Bhubaneswar bandh on September 24.

The alleged incident took place on September 15 when an army officer posted in West Bengal and his fiancee approached Bharatpur police station to lodge a complaint of road rage in which some local youths allegedly harassed them.

However, a verbal altercation took place between the duo and some policemen following which the officer and his fiancee were allegedly assaulted at the police station. 

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

Bhubaneswar:

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday allocated portfolios to his council of ministers, keeping home, finance and several other departments to himself, according to an order issued by the Raj Bhavan.

Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo was given the charge of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy departments.

The other deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, a debutant MLA and the lone female in the 16-member council of ministers, has been assigned Women and Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism department.

Mr Majhi was sworn in as the state’s first BJP chief minister here on Wednesday.

The other departments which are also held by the chief minister are general administration and public grievances, information and public relations, water resources and planning and convergence.

Veteran BJP leader Suresh Pujari was allocated Revenue and Disaster Management, while Rabi Narayan Naik, a farmer leader, was given Rural Development, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water departments.

Tribal leader Nityananda Gond got school and mass education, ST&SC development, minorities & backward classes Welfare, social security & empowerment of persons with disabilities departments, the statement said.

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