"An individual’s Aberration...": Former Army, CBI Chiefs Clash Over Alleged Assault Of Woman At Odisha Police Station

The alleged torture and sexual assault of an Army officer's fiancée at a police station in Odisha has resulted in a social media clash between retired Army Chief General V K Singh and former CBI Director M Nageswara Rao.

The incident, which took place in Bhubaneswar on the night of 15 September, has ignited widespread public outrage.

In a social media post, General V K Singh labelled the treatment meted out to the woman, who is the fiancée of an Army officer, as "shameful and horrendous."

He criticised the Odisha Police for their handling of the situation and demanded immediate action against the responsible officers.

According to the victim, she was allegedly assaulted and sexually harassed inside Bharatpur police station after she and her fiancé attempted to file a complaint about a road rage incident. Her fiancé, the Army officer, was reportedly detained illegally by the police.

Former CBI director M Nageswara Rao, who was also an Odisha-cadre IPS officer, presented a contrasting version, countering General Singh’s allegations.

He claimed the Army officer and his fiancée were intoxicated and had behaved inappropriately.

"In Bhubaneswar city, an Army officer and his fiancée consume 10 pegs of liquor and drive a car in the mid of night around 2 am, indulge in a brawl with engineering students around 2-30 am, and then land up in Bharatpur Police Station creating ruckus inside the police station, so much so that the PS staff had to seek help of PCR. When sent to hospital for medical examination and blood test which is the standard protocol of investigation, they refused," Rao stated.

Rao further defended the Odisha Police, highlighting that the police, managing over 600 stations, had no reason to mistreat any visitors, including Army personnel.

Rao also urged General Singh to reconsider his position, adding that blaming the police for the actions of an individual officer was unjust.

"Sir, it is not done that you, having been a Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and later a Central Minister, jumped to conclusion and castigated Odisha Police for the drunken brawl and uncouth behaviour of an Army officer and his fiancée, and Odisha Police officers were not even at fault. But I would not chastise the Indian Army by asking, “Is this the kind of discipline that the Indian Army imparts and inculcates in its officers?”. Because an individual’s aberration does not represent an esteemed institution," Rao said.

Rao also asked the Army chief to take the Army Officer to task for "his conduct unbecoming of a soldier, and for besmirching the fair name of the Indian Army".

Meanwhile, videos showing the couple involved in a physical altercation with a group of people surfaced on social media, adding fuel to the debate.

While Army veterans have rallied in support of the officer and his fiancée, retired police officers, including Rao, have stood by the Odisha Police, raising doubts about the couple's conduct.

In response to the mounting allegations, the Odisha government has suspended five police personnel involved in the incident and has ordered a judicial inquiry.

The state's crime branch is now handling the investigation.

Additionally, the government has extended security to the Army officer and his fiancée in light of the alleged threats they have faced since the incident.

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