CM Mohan Charan Majhi vows action, BJD president Naveen seeks SIT

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday asserted his government will take stringent action against all those involved in the assault of an army officer and sexual harassment of his fiancée at Bharatpur police station in the state capital.

The chief minister’s announcement came hours after leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik demanded a court-monitored SIT probe and judicial inquiry into the incident.

The chief minister, who is on a tour of his home district Keonjhar, told mediapersons that the state government has already ordered a Crime Branch probe into the incident and suspended five police personnel including the inspector in-charge. A case has also been registered against them. There will be no hesitation on the part of the government to take action against the culprits, he assured. Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida also met the fiancée of the army officer who is undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar. Stating that the government has zero tolerance to crime against women, Parida said not one of those found guilty will be spared.