Patna: The Central Command (Surya Command) of the Indian Army has taken serious note of the assault on a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and his wife by the Bihar Police in the state’s Nalanda district. The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Jharkhand-Bihar Sub Area of the Army called on the director general of Bihar Police and registered a complaint, following which the station house officer (SHO) of Telhara police station, in the Nalanda district, was suspended.
The DG has also ordered an IG-level inquiry into the matter. He has assured an impartial probe.
The Army Subedar, posted in Punjab, is presently on leave. On the night of April 9, a police team barged into their house in search of the JCO’s brother. On not finding him there, the policemen started raining blows on the Subedar and his wife. They then dragged the two to the Telhara police station, where they were further assaulted and then arrested.
“The policemen knew that he was a serving Army personnel. The law clearly states that a soldier cannot be arrested by the civil police unless there is a complaint registered against him for rape or murder. Even in such cases, the commanding officer of the soldier has to be informed immediately. This seems to be a repeat of the Punjab case, in which a serving Colonel and his son were assaulted by the police outside a Dhaba,” a senior Army official said.
In this case, the Army reacted immediately after learning of the JCO’s arrest. Messages were sent from the Central Command to top bureaucrats in Patna, following which the Subedar and his wife were released. The police denied assault and said that they simply wanted to ‘restrain’ him when he refused to accompany them to the police station for questioning.
The soldier said that he or his family have nothing to do with his brother and are also not aware of his whereabouts. He apparently told this to the policemen, but they started assaulting him.
