Bhubaneswar: Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash Commission, investigating the alleged police torture of an Army officer and his fiancée at Bharatpur police station, is expected to submit its findings by mid-Jan.
Following a spot inspection of the police station on Wednesday, Justice Dash told reporters that while the incident’s details have been largely established, the commission is conducting additional research on preventive measures for such occurrences.
“We have received numerous suggestions through affidavits and are studying best policing practices from other states and countries to determine if there was a systemic failure,” said Justice Dash.
During the Wednesday visit to the police station, the victims identified and marked the locations where the alleged Sept 15 incident occurred. A detailed map was prepared based on their description, with no police officers present at the time.
The commission later heard from five suspended police officers accused of high-handedness, after recording the Army officer and his fiancée’s statements. “This exercise was to better understand the affidavits filed by both parties,” Justice Dash said.
The next hearing is scheduled for Nov 26, where both parties will respond to the filed affidavits before evidence recording starts. Justice Dash clarified that the spot visit wasn’t for evidence gathering, given the two-month gap since the incident.
The commission’s final report will include recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future, focusing on improving police conduct and systemic reforms.