The Army on Wednesday ordered a Court of Inquiry into the Tuesday night's incident in which two of its officers from the College of Military Engineering (CME) allegedly clashed with local police even as it blamed the cops for their 'aggressive and abusive' behaviour for the overall provocation.
"The concerned officers, Captain V Advait and Lt A B Pandit, have been debarred from leaving CME premises. The HQ CME is in liaison with the local Police authorities", an official statement issued on Wednesday said.
Giving a detailed version of the incident and claiming that local police were 'aggressive and abusive', a Defence release said, "In an unfortunate incident which occurred at around 1930 hrs on January 31 at Sambhaji Bridge, there was an altercation between two young Army officers undergoing a course at the CME with the local police".
"Capt V Advait with Lt A B Pandit as his pillion was riding his motorcycle to the market and passed through Sambhaji Bridge. Since the bridge was not open to two-wheelers (of which the young officers were unaware due to no prominent signposting) they were stopped at the end of the bridge by a lady traffic constable at around 1930 hrs, asked to park the bike to a side and pay the required fine to which they agreed".
"With the bike parked aside, as they introduced themselves as Army Officers, the lady constable took away the keys of the bike while a second male constable started abusing Capt Advait roughing and manhandling him by stating that since he was once roughed up for travelling without helmet in Army area, he would do the same".
"Meanwhile, other police personnel started converging at the location. The officers informed their course-mates regarding the incident. Senior instructors of the course were also informed about the incident. The officers' course mates arrived at about 2010 hrs and went inside the police station to the constable. Realizing that the constable was still aggressive and continuously abusive, the officers also had an exchange of words with the constable".