Odisha ‘Custody Torture’ Case: BJP Govt Scoffs At Naveen Patnaik’s Judicial Probe Demand
Bhubaneswar: The BJP government in Odisha has a zero-tolerance policy in dealing with crimes against women, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari asserted on Friday.
He was responding to BJD president & former CM Naveen Patnaik’s demand for a judicial inquiry into the alleged assault of an Army officer and molestation of his fiancée at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar. Naveen even claimed that the incident was a consequence of stopping pro-people initiative ‘Mo Sarkar’ of the previous BJD regime and inaction in connection with the assault case, involving the son of Governor Raghubar Das.
“Had Naveen Patnaik understood this when he was the CM, the state would not have witnessed atrocities against women. You did not follow ‘rajdharma’ (duty) during your regime. What happened in Nayagarh Pari, Puri-based doctor Madhabilata Pradhan and Babina case? Hundreds of women were tortured and allegations were also levelled against BJD leaders, but no action was taken,” said Pujari, adding that they are now trying to impart lessons to 100-day-old BJP government.
He further stated that the atrocities would not have happened had the former CM and his government worked efficiently.
While assuring stringent action against the perpetrators “no matter how powerful an individual”, the Minister scoffed at the judicial probe demand. “24 judicial commissions were set up during the tenure of the BJD government and not a single commission report has been made public till now,” he said.
Pujari said that a judicial probe is ordered when the matter is complex. “There has been atrocity against a woman and here it is important to ensure that the culprits are punished. The state government will take appropriate action against those involved,” he said.
He further said that while the former CM Naveen Patnaik had set up model police stations, the BJP government will try to create model police officers. “In the present case, appropriate action will be taken,” he added.
Meanwhile, father of the Army Officer’s fiancée termed it as a heinous crime and demanded for termination of the services of the accused cops. “The police officers at the police station have done an illegal act. They know that they cannot arrest an army officer, yet they put him in the lockup. If someone comes to the police station for help, they should help them. They instead beat them up, put them in the lockup and made a case against them to put them in jail. What can be worse than this? ..The police should be trained, they should be sensitised so that they can take care of the people who are coming to file report and not beat them up…”