Rayagada: In a major development in the probe into Rayagada mob attack, Odisha Police on Sunday ordered the case to be included in the ‘Red Flag’ category in view of the importance and sensitivity of the incident.
Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania also directed the Crime Against Women (CAW) wing and instructed officials to treat the case with top priority.
The Rayagada district police had earlier sought ‘Red Flag’ classification for the mob violence that took place in Kalyansinghpur, where two NGO interns were brutally assaulted after being mistaken for child kidnappers.
Rayagada Superintendent of Police Raj Prasad said the Crime Branch has joined the investigation and is assisting the district police in the case in view of its serious nature.
Altogether 23 people have been arrested in connection with the incident so far, while several others have been detained and are being questioned. Police said many accused are still absconding. Multiple special teams have been formed to trace and apprehend the remaining accused.
Three criminal cases have been registered and the Crime Branch is assisting the district police in the probe.
The incident, which triggered widespread outrage, occurred near Kandulguda village under Kalyansinghpur police limits on the night of June 16 when two NGO fellows, a young woman from Bihar and her male colleague from Gujarat, were travelling from Kandhamal’s Daringbadi to Thuamul Rampur in Kalahandi district. The two, both in their early 20s, were allegedly mistaken for child lifters after rumours spread by mischief-makers triggered panic among villagers.
The SP said strict legal action would be initiated under the Information Technology (IT) Act against people who recorded videos of the incident and circulated them on social media. The cyber investigation is being conducted under the direct supervision of DIG (South Eastern Range), he added.
The police cyber team is actively working to identify those responsible for making the videos viral. Strict action will be taken against anyone found involved, he said.
Police said two volunteers who were allegedly attacked by the mob are recovering.
A special legal assistance team has also been constituted to examine the FIRs, available evidence, and legal aspects of the case, the SP informed.
Prasad further stated that the incident involves issues related to the dignity and privacy of a woman. Recording and circulating her video without consent constitutes a violation under the IT Act, he said, describing the matter as highly sensitive.
The SP confirmed that the principal accused in the case has already been arrested. The investigation remains ongoing, with police continuing efforts to identify and apprehend all those involved in the mob violence.
