{"id":36423,"date":"2024-09-23T19:20:10","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T23:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/india-anger-over-alleged-sexual-assault-on-woman-inside-police-station\/23\/09\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-09-23T19:20:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T23:20:10","slug":"india-anger-over-alleged-sexual-assault-on-woman-inside-police-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/india-anger-over-alleged-sexual-assault-on-woman-inside-police-station\/23\/09\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"India anger over alleged sexual assault on woman inside police station"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 334px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">A protest condemning the rape and murder of a female doctor in India [Getty Images]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>A retired Indian high court judge will investigate allegations that a woman was physically and sexually assaulted by a group of police inside a police station in the eastern state of Odisha, the authorities say.<\/p>\n<p>After the allegations, levelled last week by the 32-year-old woman and her fianc\u00e9 \u2013 an army officer \u2013 led to a huge outcry, four police officials, including three women, were suspended. A fifth policeman was transferred. The action came after the state\u2019s crime branch opened an inquiry into the case.<\/p>\n<p><em>Warning: This report contains details some may find distressing<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>A video of the woman, a law graduate who runs a restaurant in the state capital Bhubaneswar, detailing her alleged abuse by police early on the morning of 15 September has been shared many times on social media.<\/p>\n<p>The footage makes for a difficult watch.<\/p>\n<p>In a wheelchair, with a collar around her neck and one arm in a sling, the woman repeatedly breaks down while narrating to journalists what she says happened to her.<\/p>\n<p>She said she had gone to Bharatpur police station with her fiance after closing her restaurant at around 01:00 because they had been harassed by a group of men on the road.<\/p>\n<p>They asked police to send a patrol car quickly to intercept the men who couldn\u2019t have gone far, she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe police refused to take down our complaint, instead they abused us. When I told them that I was a law graduate and knew my rights, they got even more angry.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 540px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/zqm8oVLyFyUiY8FqE67tzg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIzMDI7aD0xMjk0\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/d56f7c0979bf3e401d2cf1e34c181418\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"People gathered outside the police headquarters to protest against the alleged sexual assault of a woman in police custody.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/r5wFjfTNk_2Hsfk_.IRWLw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/d56f7c0979bf3e401d2cf1e34c181418\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"People gathered outside the police headquarters to protest against the alleged sexual assault of a woman in police custody.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/r5wFjfTNk_2Hsfk_.IRWLw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/d56f7c0979bf3e401d2cf1e34c181418\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">Former defence officials and activists have held protests against the alleged assault in Bhubaneswar [Subrat Kumar Pati]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The situation escalated after the police put her fiance in the lockup, she alleged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I objected, two female officials started pulling my hair and beating me. I kept pleading with them to stop. But they dragged me through the corridor and one of them tried to strangle me. When I fought back, they tied my hands and legs and locked me up in a room,\u201d she said, sobbing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne male officer came in and took off my bra and started kicking me in my breasts. At around 06:00, the officer in charge of the police station came into the room. He pulled my pants down. Then he lowered his pants and threatened to rape me multiple times unless I stopped screaming for help,\u201d she alleged.<\/p>\n<p>Reports in the Indian media last week quoted police as saying the army officer and his fiancee had arrived at the station drunk and the woman had been aggressive. They alleged that she had slapped a policewoman and bitten another officer.<\/p>\n<p>She was arrested and a magistrate placed her in custody.<\/p>\n<p>But three days after the alleged assault, the high court freed the woman on bail and criticised the police and the lower court that jailed her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn careful examination of the record, it appears that the allegations are very serious in nature\u2026 They are anathema to the very concept of a democratic and orderly society,\u201d Justice Aditya Kumar Mohapatra said, adding that the \u201cpolice had failed to follow the procedure laid down in law while arresting her\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Drastic action has been taken against the erring police officers\u2026 and appropriate action shall be taken against those found guilty,\u201d the judge&#8217;s order said.<\/p>\n<p>The magistrate had also \u201cfailed to apply their judicial mind\u201d in denying the woman bail, Justice Mohapatra added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 334px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"Activists hold placards during a protest to condemn the alleged gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman in Bool Garhi village of Uttar Pradesh state, in Mumbai on October 6, 2020.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/AF7VqA3WNp_Rcu7IbTVm5Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/733aab2b683467423982de79774ff8a9\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Activists hold placards during a protest to condemn the alleged gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman in Bool Garhi village of Uttar Pradesh state, in Mumbai on October 6, 2020.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/AF7VqA3WNp_Rcu7IbTVm5Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/733aab2b683467423982de79774ff8a9\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">In India, women are often victim-shamed for wearing Western clothes or drinking alcohol in public [Getty Images]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Since then, many in India have taken to social media to express their anger at alleged police brutality. A large number of former and serving army officials have shared the viral video of the woman and pledged support to her fight since her father is a retired army brigadier.<\/p>\n<p>The Indian army has also written a letter to the chief justice of the high court in Odisha saying that a &#8220;serving officer had been kept in custody for nearly 14 hours without any charge\u201d and because of \u201cthe grave incident\u2026 his prestige was demeaned\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe modesty and dignity of his fiancee, who also happens to be the daughter of a retired brigadier, was grossly outraged by the police authorities,\u201d the letter adds.<\/p>\n<p>Her father, who told the BBC that he had spent hours frantically trying to locate his daughter that night, said the police had not even informed him or his family about the allegations against his daughter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome army officers informed me that my daughter had been arrested and sent to jail. I was allowed to meet her only the next afternoon,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope we will get justice.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The state government said it \u201crespects the Indian army\u201d and is \u201cconcerned about the dignity, safety and rights of women\u201d. It has nominated retired Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash to hold an inquiry and submit a report within 60 days.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 540px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/mEeJ0I5lC04xyEBrAvggAA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xMzUw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/2f87d0bf20dcfbe75af9e1d5e49fa62e\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"A file photo of An Indian woman looking at her hands after making a hand impression on a banner during a street march against sexual harassment and marital violence to mark International Women's Day in New Delhi\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/_8nCOimC5dI2iEV12s5ZCQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/2f87d0bf20dcfbe75af9e1d5e49fa62e\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A file photo of An Indian woman looking at her hands after making a hand impression on a banner during a street march against sexual harassment and marital violence to mark International Women's Day in New Delhi\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/_8nCOimC5dI2iEV12s5ZCQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/2f87d0bf20dcfbe75af9e1d5e49fa62e\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">India records tens of thousands of crimes against women every year [Getty Images]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The woman\u2019s allegations are being investigated and her statement has been recorded, crime branch official Narendra Behera told the media. The seven men accused of harassing the couple were arrested by police and released on bail.<\/p>\n<p>On social media some have commented on the woman&#8217;s clothing while others have questioned &#8220;the character of a woman who argues with men and drinks alcohol&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Namrata Chadha, lawyer and women\u2019s rights activist who met the woman in hospital, told the BBC that it is \u201cheart-breaking to see this kind of victim shaming\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe has an injured shoulder, a cut on her face and swelling around her eye. She is very traumatised. While talking to me, her eyes welled up several times. I told her, \u2018You\u2019ll have to be courageous and face it all.\u2019 She said she will fight to the end.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ms Chadha says the police have to follow a standard operating procedure when a woman lodges a complaint.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s their duty to hear her patiently. They are trained to deal with a woman if she is aggressive or agitated. They have to offer her a glass of water, calm her down. But from what she has alleged, it appears that basic rules were not followed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlso, how come there were no CCTVs when the Indian Supreme Court mandates it for every police station?\u201d she asks. The police station in question opened only four months ago and is supposed to be a role model for other stations in the area.<\/p>\n<p>Ms Chadha says the case has received a lot of attention because the woman is from a privileged background.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut no-one know what goes on in this \u2013 and other \u2013 police stations when ordinary women go to seek help.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe tell our daughters that if you are in trouble, go to the nearest police station. We tell them it\u2019s the second safest place &#8211; after their home. What do we tell them now? Where will a woman go now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Additional reporting by Surbat Kumar Pati in Bhubaneswar <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>If you are affected by issues of sexual assault and are in the UK <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/articles\/22VVM5LPrf3pjYdKqctmMXn\/information-and-support-sexual-abuse-and-violence?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:you can contact the BBC Action Line here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>you can contact the BBC Action Line here<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" style=\"display:block\" class=\"lazyload\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=75&resize=75 75w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=100&resize=100 100w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=150&resize=150 150w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=240&resize=240 240w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=320&resize=320 320w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=500&resize=500 500w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=640&resize=640 640w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=800&resize=800 800w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=1024&resize=1024 1024w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=1280&resize=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=1600&resize=1600 1600w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/\"\/><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/india-anger-over-alleged-sexual-213657986.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A protest condemning the rape and murder of a female doctor in India [Getty Images] A retired Indian high court judge will<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/india-anger-over-alleged-sexual-assault-on-woman-inside-police-station\/23\/09\/2024\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36423"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36423\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}