Bhubaneswar, Sept. 27: Four additional police officials, suspended in connection with the alleged custodial torture of Army Major Gurvansh Singh and his fiancée at the Bharatpur Police Station in Bhubaneswar, will undergo a polygraph test.
The Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court in Bhubaneswar on Friday granted permission for the polygraph tests of one Sub-Inspector (SI) and two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs). Another police officer who was present at the station on the night of the incident, September 14, will also be subjected to the test.
The polygraph tests will be conducted in Gujarat.
This decision follows a request from the Odisha Crime Branch, which sought court permission to conduct the tests as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged custodial assault.
Earlier, the court had also approved a polygraph test for Dinakrushna Mishra, the suspended Inspector-In-Charge (IIC) of the Bharatpur Police Station, who is accused of being directly involved in the assault.
“Permission has been granted for the polygraph test of all four officers, including three accused officers and one Sub-Inspector,” said government lawyer A Chand, confirming the court's decision.
The incident, which occurred on the night of September 14, has sparked widespread outrage. Major Gurvansh Singh and his fiancée were allegedly subjected to a brutal assault after they visited the police station seeking help. According to reports, the couple had been harassed and chased by a group of youths while returning home from dinner. When they sought assistance at the police station, they were met with reluctance from the officers on duty to take action against the harassers, leading to a heated confrontation.
During the altercation, Major Singh was allegedly beaten and detained in the lockup, while his fiancée faced alleged sexual abuse by the Inspector-in-Charge, Dinakrushna Mishra. The incident has raised serious questions about police conduct and accountability, prompting the Crime Branch to take over the investigation.
The case continues to draw significant attention, with demands for a thorough and transparent investigation into the conduct of the officers involved. The outcome of the polygraph tests, according to legal experts, will be a crucial step in the ongoing probe, which aims to uncover the truth behind the alleged abuse of power by the suspended police officers.
