The Orissa High Court on Wednesday granted bail to a female friend of an Army officer of Sikh Regiment amid allegations that the former was unlawfully arrested after the cops of Bharatpur police in Bhubaneswar assaulted the couple besides molesting and stripping the woman.

As the unsavory incident highlighting the police excesses on 15 September grabbed the spotlight with the Indian Army taking a serious view of it, Odisha Police which had earlier ordered a Crime Branch inquiry, suspended five policemen, including an officer of Inspector rank, on Wednesday.

The Orissa High Court, hearing two separate petitions filed by the arrested woman, granted her bail(she was arrested for assaulting a woman cop during argument). The other petition pertained to the quashing of the FIR registered against the woman. The Court, however, refused to entertain the petition on the ground that the matter is being investigated by the Crime Branch, a specialised probe agency of Odisha police.

The National Commission for Women has also taken suo motu cognizance of the “custodial abuse” of the army officer and his female friend.

An order issued by the Director General of Police (DGP) stated that five police personnel (an inspector, a lady sub inspector, two lady assistant sub inspectors and a constable) have been suspended on charge of gross misconduct. The suspension order however, did not elaborate on the nature of misconduct.

The army officer and his female friend had rushed to the Bharatpur police station to seek protection from unsocial elements after they encountered a road rage on the highway passing through the city. As the policemen on duty at the police station insisted on a written complaint, a verbal duel ensued. The policemen, unable to digest the show of resistance, allegedly beat up the duo and confined the Army officer in lockup in the police station. Later the army officer’s female friend was badly beaten, stripped and molested as she vehemently protested the police highhandedness.

The Inspector-in-charge, who was not present during the occurrence of the incident, turned up later only to verbally abuse the victim woman and put her under arrest. The cops however, released the Army officer from lockup after being informed that he was a serving army officer.

Meanwhile in a related development, the retired army personnel took to the streets and staged a rally in Bhubaneswar expressing deep anguish over the inhumane treatment meted out to a serving army officer and his female friend.

”It is a classic case where a protector turned predator. The country is safe because defence personnel are guarding the borders. The police action against the army officer and his friend is barbaric to say the least. The officer’s female friend was not only assaulted but also her modesty outraged at the police station. Those responsible should be meted out exemplary punishment and need to be arrested immediately under relevant sections of BNS. The suspension of accused cops will not serve the course of justice,” the agitating retired defence personnel charged.

They also sought for a judicial inquiry headed by a retired judge of Orissa High Court keeping in view the fact that policemen are involved in perpetrating such a dastardly act. The ongoing inquiry by the crime branch is bound to be lenient towards the accused cops, they further said.