Five Arrested In Odisha Lynching Case; Manhunt On To Nab Others
The youth was lynched on Thursday as villagers saw him trying to outrage modesty of a woman
Bhubaneswar: Five persons were arrested during an overnight police crackdown as authorities intensified a manhunt to identify and apprehend others allegedly involved in the lynching of a youth on the outskirts of Odisha’s Bhubaneswar city.
The deceased, identified as Soumya Ranjan Swain, was a constable with the Government Railway Police (GRP) posted in Cuttack. Another youth, Om Prakash Rout, sustained injuries in the incident and is currently undergoing treatment.
According to police and eyewitness accounts, two women were returning home on a scooter in the Balianta area on Thursday morning when Swain and Rout allegedly intercepted them on a motorcycle. One of the women later accused Swain of attempting to outrage her modesty and forcing her towards the roadside.
“I was returning home on my scooter with my friend when two men suddenly stopped us. One of them dragged me to the roadside and tried to force himself on me. My clothes were torn during the struggle. Some locals rushed to rescue me and later an ambulance took me to hospital,” the woman alleged.
She said she was unaware of subsequent developments as she had been shifted for medical treatment.
Police said the allegations triggered outrage among villagers, who allegedly caught the two youths, tied them up, and assaulted them publicly. Videos purportedly showing the assault later surfaced on social media and are being examined as part of the investigation.
Swain later succumbed to his injuries during treatment, while Rout was rescued and admitted to hospital.
The Balipatna police have registered two separate cases — one based on the woman’s complaint alleging attempted rape, and another filed by Swain’s family members, who have accused villagers of carrying out a planned murder.
Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania visited Balianta on Friday to review the investigation. Police sources said Swain had earlier faced departmental action for indiscipline and had once been arrested in connection with alleged misconduct involving a woman.
A special police team has been formed to identify individuals seen in the viral videos and reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the mob assault. The incident triggered tension in the area, prompting heavy police deployment after protests erupted outside the local police station late Thursday night.
