The 32-year-old fiancée of an army officer claims she was brutally assaulted by police officers. She reported being beaten, choked, stripped, stomped on, and dragged by her hair.
The incident occurred on September 15 when she and her fiancé went to Bharatpur Police Station to file a complaint after being harassed by a group of men. Instead of receiving help, the situation spiraled into what she described as a night of terror.
Authorities have appointed a retired high court judge to lead an investigation into the allegations of physical and sexual assault inside the police station in Odisha. Following public outrage, four police officers, including three women, were suspended, and a fifth officer was transferred. The state crime branch has also launched an inquiry.
A video of the woman, a law graduate and restaurant owner, detailing the alleged assault has circulated widely on social media. In the footage, she is seen in a wheelchair with visible injuries, emotionally recounting her experience to reporters. She explained that after closing her restaurant, she and her fiancé went to the police station to report the harassment, but police refused to take action. When she identified herself as a law graduate, the situation escalated.
The woman alleged that after her fiancé was detained, two female officers attacked her, pulling her hair and beating her. She described being dragged, tied up, and locked in a room, where a male officer stripped her and kicked her. She also accused the station chief of threatening to rape her if she continued to call for help.
In response to the allegations, local media reported police claims that the woman and her fiancé arrived at the station intoxicated and that she had been aggressive, including slapping a policewoman. She was subsequently arrested, but the high court released her on bail, condemning the police and lower court for mishandling the case.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with many Indians voicing anger on social media over police brutality. The Indian army has also expressed concern, highlighting the treatment of the officer and his fiancée, who is the daughter of a retired brigadier.
The state government has assured the public of its commitment to women’s rights and the dignity of the Indian army. A formal investigation, led by retired Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash, is underway, and a report is expected within 60 days. Meanwhile, seven men accused of harassing the couple have been arrested and released on bail.
Lawyer and women’s rights activist Namrata Chadha, who visited the woman in the hospital, condemned the victim-blaming circulating online. Despite her injuries and trauma, the woman remains determined to seek justice.
