Bharatpur case: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Nov 16: The Odisha Government has extended the tenure of the Commission of Inquiry, headed by retired Orissa High Court judge Justice Chittaranjan Das, which is investigating the alleged custodial abuse of an Army officer and his fiancée at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar.
An official notification from the Home Department on Friday stated, “It is felt necessary to extend the tenure of the Commission of Inquiry to further investigate the case and counter case alleging misbehaviour and assault of a woman and a serving army officer inside Bharatpur PS.”
The Commission’s original two-month tenure, set to end on November 22, has now been extended for an additional 70 days. The notification amended the previous directive, changing the deadline from “within 60 days” to “by January 31, 2025.”
The incident, which occurred on the night of September 15, triggered national outrage. It involved a serving Army captain allegedly being manhandled and his fiancée sexually assaulted by on-duty police officers when they went to file a road rage complaint. The government had ordered a time-bound judicial probe into the matter. On November 14, the Army officer and his fiancée appeared before the judicial commission for questioning.
