Rayagada: Police have arrested 16 people in connection with an alleged vigilante violence fuelled by misinformation in which a young woman from Delhi and her male colleague from Gujarat were brutally assaulted by a mob in Odisha’s Rayagada district on the night of June 16.
The locals had mistakenly suspected them of being child-lifters.
The victims, both in their early twenties and working under fellowship programmes with voluntary organisations, were on a routine field visit. The woman was involved in solid waste management initiatives in Kalahandi district, while her colleague was associated with a turmeric packaging project in Kandhamal. On the evening of the incident, the duo was travelling on a scooter from Daringbadi in Kandhamal to Thuamul Rampur in Kalahandi. Unfamiliar with the terrain, they relied on Google Maps and stopped near Kandulguda village under Silet Panchayat in Kalyansinghpur area to ask for directions.
While seeking guidance, they interacted with local children celebrating Raja festival and distributed chocolates, which soon sparked suspicion. Rumours quickly spread through phone calls and word of mouth across neighbouring villages, falsely accusing the outsiders of being child lifters. As crowds gathered, the pair sensed danger, showed their identity cards, and explained they were development workers on an exposure visit, but their pleas were ignored.
According to the victims, the situation escalated rapidly. They attempted to flee, but their scooter reportedly skidded near Dhamunipanga panchayat. A mob of 40 to 50 people chased them down, assaulted them brutally, and half-stripped the woman. The female victim later recounted the terror: “We tried repeatedly to convince people… Even after showing our identification documents, people continued to suspect us. The crowd kept growing and the situation became frightening.” Both sustained serious injuries and were left traumatised.
Kalyansinghpur police, led by IIC Kalpana Behera, rushed to the spot on receiving information and rescued the victims. They were first treated at Kalyansinghpur Community Health Centre and later shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Rayagada. Both have since been discharged and taken to Bhubaneswar.
“Acting swiftly, Kalyansinghpur police rescued the two victims and arrested 16 persons, including the prime accused, based on CCTV footage and other evidence. We are also verifying videos recorded by people present at the spot. More arrests are likely… Every individual involved in the assault will be identified and brought to justice.” Four cases have been registered in connection with the incident,” Rayagada SP Raj Prasad told the media.
The SP attributed the attack entirely to baseless rumours.
