Seven arrested for assaulting Army officer and harassing fiancée in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Sept 21: Police today arrested seven individuals in connection with the assault of an Army officer and harassment of his fiancée on Chandaka Road in Bhubaneswar, which occurred a week prior. These individuals, identified as engineering students, had previously been detained by the Chandaka police and were formally charged after an investigation.

The arrests were based on CCTV footage, and the suspects were interrogated at the Chandaka police station before their formal arrest. Following this, they were presented in a local court. Authorities reported that eleven mobile phones and a vehicle were confiscated from the group.

According to the complaint, over a dozen individuals in three cars intercepted the Army officer’s vehicle near Patharagadia late on September 15. The officer and his fiancée were returning home after closing her restaurant when they were verbally abused and subjected to lewd comments. When the officer attempted to defend himself, he was allegedly assaulted by the group.

The couple managed to escape and quickly reported the incident at the Bharatpur police station around 2 am, requesting assistance to apprehend the attackers. However, they claimed that instead of receiving help, the Bharatpur police mistreated them, with allegations that the officer’s fiancée was subjected to abuse while in custody. In a bid to resist the mistreatment, she reportedly bit a female officer's hand.