A demonstration denouncing the rape and murder of a female doctor in India [Getty Images]
A retired Indian high court judge will be investigating claims that a woman was physically and sexually assaulted by a group of police officers inside a police station in the eastern state of Odisha, according to authorities.
Following the allegations made last week by the 32-year-old woman and her fiancé, an army officer, there was a significant public outcry. Four police officials, including three women, were suspended as a result. A fifth officer was transferred. The state’s crime branch initiated an investigation into the case.
Content Warning: This report contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
A video of the woman, a law graduate who owns a restaurant in the state capital of Bhubaneswar, describing her alleged mistreatment by police early on the morning of September 15 has been widely shared on social media.
The video is difficult to watch.
Sitting in a wheelchair with a neck brace and one arm in a sling, the woman breaks down repeatedly while recounting to journalists what she claims happened to her.
She stated that she and her fiancé had gone to the Bharatpur police station after closing her restaurant around 1:00 am because they had been harassed by a group of men on the road.
She said they asked the police to quickly send a patrol car to apprehend the men who couldn’t have gone far.
“The police refused to take our complaint, instead they verbally abused us. When I informed them that I was a law graduate and knew my rights, they became even more hostile.”
Former defense officials and activists have staged protests against the alleged assault in Bhubaneswar [Subrat Kumar Pati]
The situation escalated after the police reportedly detained her fiancé, she claimed.
“When I objected, two female officers started pulling my hair and hitting me. I begged them to stop. But they dragged me down the corridor, and one of them attempted to strangle me. When I resisted, they tied my hands and feet and locked me in a room,” she said, sobbing.
“A male officer then entered and removed my bra, and began kicking me in the chest. Around 6:00 am, the station’s chief came into the room. He pulled down my pants. Then he lowered his own pants and threatened to rape me multiple times unless I stopped screaming for help,” she alleged.
Reports in the Indian media last week quoted police as asserting that the army officer and his fiancée had arrived at the station inebriated and that the woman had been aggressive. They claimed that she had slapped a female officer and bitten another officer.
She was arrested and a judge ordered her to be held in custody.
However, three days after the alleged assault, the high court released the woman on bail and criticized both the police and the lower court that had detained her.
“After a thorough review of the case, it is evident that the allegations are very serious in nature… They are contradictory to the principles of a democratic and well-regulated society,” Justice Aditya Kumar Mohapatra stated, adding that the “police had not followed the prescribed legal procedure in her arrest.”
“Stringent action has been taken against the offending police officers… and appropriate measures will be taken against those found guilty,” the judge’s order stated.
The magistrate also “failed to apply their judicial mind” when denying the woman bail, Justice Mohapatra added.
In India, women are often blamed for wearing Western clothing or consuming alcohol in public [Getty Images]
Since then, many in India have taken to social media to express their outrage over the alleged police brutality. Numerous former and current army officers have shared the viral video of the woman and pledged their support to her cause, as her father is a retired army brigadier.
The Indian army has written to the chief justice of the high court in Odisha, stating that a “serving officer was detained for nearly 14 hours without any charges” and that due to “the serious incident… his reputation was tarnished.”
“The modesty and dignity of his fiancée, who is also the daughter of a retired brigadier, was severely violated by the police authorities,” the letter added.
Her father, who informed the BBC that he had spent hours trying to locate his daughter that night, said the police had not informed him or his family about the allegations against his daughter.
“Some army officers informed me that my daughter had been arrested and taken to jail. I was only allowed to see her the next afternoon,” he said. “I hope we will receive justice.”
The state government stated that it “respects the Indian army” and is “concerned about the dignity, safety, and rights of women.” They have appointed retired Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash to conduct an inquiry and submit a report within 60 days.
India witnesses tens of thousands of crimes against women each year [Getty Images]
The woman’s allegations are being investigated, and her statement has been recorded, according to crime branch official Narendra Behera. The seven men accused of harassing the couple were arrested and released on bail.
On social media, some have criticized the woman’s attire, while others have questioned “the character of a woman who argues with men and drinks alcohol.”
Namrata Chadha, a lawyer and women’s rights activist who met the woman in the hospital, told the BBC that it is “heartbreaking to see this kind of victim blaming.”
“She has an injured shoulder, a cut on her face, and swelling around her eye. She is very traumatized. While speaking with me, she teared up several times. I told her, ‘You have to be brave and face it all.’ She said she will fight until the end.”
Ms. Chadha said that the police must follow a standard operating procedure when a woman files a complaint.
“It is their duty to listen to her patiently. They are trained to handle a woman who is aggressive or upset. They must offer her a glass of water and calm her down. Pero según lo que ha alegado, parece que no se siguieron las reglas básicas.
“Además, ¿cómo es que no había cámaras de seguridad cuando la Corte Suprema de la India lo exige para cada comisaría?” pregunta. La comisaría en cuestión abrió solo hace cuatro meses y se supone que es un modelo a seguir para otras comisarías en la zona.
La Sra. Chadha dice que el caso ha recibido mucha atención porque la mujer proviene de un entorno privilegiado.
“Pero nadie sabe lo que sucede en esta – y otras – comisarías cuando mujeres comunes acuden en busca de ayuda.
“Les decimos a nuestras hijas que si tienen problemas, vayan a la comisaría más cercana. Les decimos que es el segundo lugar más seguro – después de su hogar. ¿Qué les diremos ahora? ¿Dónde irá una mujer ahora?”
Reportaje adicional de Surbat Kumar Pati en Bhubaneswar
Si te afectan problemas de agresión sexual y estás en el Reino Unido, puedes contactar con la Línea de Ayuda de la BBC aquí