Bhubaneswar: The number of arrests in alleged mob lynching of a Government Railway Police (GRP) constable at Balianta, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, rose to 18 after Odisha Crime Branch apprehended another key accused from Dhenkanal.
The arrested has been identified as Pradeep Managara (46) alias Dipu of Benupur under Balianta police limits.
In a release, Crime Branch on Tuesday said that he was nabbed last night “based on substantial evidence collected during the course of investigation”. All 18 arrested so far were involved in assaulting the deceased. “Investigation is continuing on a priority basis, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend other persons involved in the incident,” it added.
This comes four days after Ashok Jena alias Geda (45), a resident of Gangeswargada under Cuttack Sadar police station limits, was arrested from a hotel in Patia, Bhubaneswar. The viral video clearly showed him assaulting the victim on the head and face with a stick. Incidentally, the postmortem reports indicated death due to internal haemorrhage.
Crime Branch DIG B Gangadhar had then said that 10 more suspects have been identified and teams are working to track them down.
The agency had also indicated involved of mischief-makers from other areas of the capital city in the mob lynching of railway constable following the arrest of Binod Kumar Behera (48), a resident of Satya Nagar area in the city, from a country liquor manufacturing unit in Indupur area of Kendrapada district on May 25.
The Case
The case dates back to May 7, when GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain (32), and his associate Om Prakash Rout were traveling on a motorcycle in the Bhingarpur-Kaja area under Balianta police station limits on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Allegations surfaced that their vehicle hit a scooter carrying two women, after which Swain reportedly assaulted the women and attempted to rape one of them. This sparked immediate outrage among locals and passersby, who gathered at the spot and thrashed the duo.
Swain was allegedly tied to a pole and severely beaten by the mob, leading to his death. His associate sustained injuries. Videos of the brutal assault circulated widely on social media, triggering shock and widespread condemnation across Odisha.
Police had registered two separate cases related to the incident: one for the murder of Swain and another concerning the alleged attempt to rape the woman. The Crime Branch took over the investigation following initial arrests by local police, with multiple teams conducting raids and analysing CCTV footage and other evidence.
So far, the agency has received more than 10 videos of the incident which were recorded by some locals on the spot.
