A suspended railway policeman was beaten to death and another seriously injured after a mob attacked them on Thursday on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, following allegations that the duo sexually assaulted two women.
The incident took place near a bridge in Ramchandrapur under Baliantha police station limits on Hanspal-Nimapara road around 11.30 am, news agency PTI reported.
According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Soumya Ranjan Swain, a suspended constable of Government Railway Police, Cuttack. The other injured man is Om Prakash Mohanty.
What happened on Bhubaneshwar Road
Citing the women’s complaint, Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said the two persons intercepted a motorcycle on which two women were riding. The two women fell on the road after two men on a motorcycle pushed them.
“The duo physically attacked them, and one of them tried to sexually assault a woman,” Biranchi Narayan Jena, a bystander who witnessed the incident, told reporters.
The situation quickly escalated as the two women raised the alarm, leading to a large crowd that attacked the two men before the police arrived. The victims and accused were later transferred to the hospital.
An alleged video clip showing the man being assaulted and then taken to the hospital with his hands tied was spread on social media, which intensified public anger. HT was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the clip.
The accused behaved abnormally
Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena pointed out that the mob attacked Swain because he appeared to have lost his mind and was behaving abnormally at the time of the incident. The agency’s report added: “He even tried to bite police officers when they were rescuing him.”
The DCP said that two FIRs were registered – one related to murder and the other related to attempted rape.
“The two men, who were on a bike, first passed the two women on a motorcycle, then returned and assaulted the two women. Local residents and nearby people rescued the two women and assaulted the two men. One of them died,” he said.
CM orders vigilance
Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Mohan Sharan Majhi directed senior police officials to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.
He asked DGP YB Khurania to remain vigilant against cases of lynching by mobs and maintain strict law and order.
The Prime Minister also spoke to the chairperson of the State Commission for Women, Sobhna Mohanty, and suggested that she meet the victims of the alleged assault on Friday.
“The Prime Minister ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and strict action will be taken against the culprits,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister said. She added that four people have been arrested so far in connection with the mob lynching.
The opposition criticizes the government
The incident sparked sharp political reactions in the state, with Leader of the Opposition in the Odisha Assembly and BJP president Naveen Patnaik strongly criticizing the government, describing the incident as “barbaric”.
In a post on website
He further questioned the law and order situation, saying: “If such incidents happen in the presence of police, who do people turn to for protection? Why is the police department and the government helpless in the face of criminals?”
He also warned that if such incidents occur near the state capital, the situation in other parts of the state could be worse.
(with PTI inputs)
