State Government Finalizes SOP for Police-Defence Personnel Interaction Following Bhubaneswar Assault Incident

State Government Finalizes SOP for Police-Defence Personnel Interaction Following Bhubaneswar Assault Incident

The state government has finalized a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for police interactions with defense personnel, following the alleged assault of an Army officer and his fiancée at the Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar on September 15. The SOP was approved by the Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday, advocate general (AG) Pitambar Acharya submitted it to the Orissa High Court.

The SOP, submitted in court by the Advocate General, lays down clear guidelines for interacting with Armed Forces officers and personnel. It emphasizes the need for proper behavior and respectful conduct when defense personnel visit the police station. “Problems and grievances of the defence personnel shall be promptly attended to by the police officer and all required legal and logistic support shall be extended to him as early as possible,” it states.It also directs that if defense personnel provide oral information about a cognizable offense, the police officer must immediately document the details, obtain the complainant's signature, and initiate legal action without insisting on a written report. 

On October 8, the court had directed the state government to inform the steps intended to be taken to protect the dignity of the personnel of the Armed Forces on the police station/outpost premises. Taking it into consideration, the division bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Savitri Ratho on Tuesday fixed November 19 for final order and disposal of the PIL it had registered after taking suo-motu cognizance of the Bharatpur police station incident. 

The SOP clarifies that serving defense personnel cannot be arrested without the prior approval of the central government. It specifies that police may arrest serving officers without permission only if they are involved in serious crimes such as rape, murder, or kidnapping, provided these offenses are unrelated to their official duties. For any other offenses, however, police are not authorized to arrest defense personnel without first obtaining approval from the appropriate authorities.

“In case, the police officer arrests defence personnel in crimes unrelated to performance of their duty, it is mandatory for the police to inform the nearest military station headquarters with the details of offences, date of arrest and the place of detention and custody,” the SOP further specifies, adding, “The defence personnel under arrest should not be manhandled or assaulted or beaten up. He should not also be handcuffed.”