Bhubaneswar: A day after police detained five persons in Balianta mob lynching case, one of the two women involved on Friday gave a detailed account of the alleged assault that preceded the violent incident, claiming she and her friend were targeted by two motorcycle-borne men before locals intervened to rescue them.
The woman narrated that she and her female companion were travelling on a scooter near Ramachandrapur in Balianta area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on May 7 when two men on a motorcycle began passing objectionable comments. The men allegedly overtook them, returned, and deliberately rammed into their scooter, causing both women to fall on the road. “How can a constable stop me in the middle of the road, ram our bike from behind, and then beat me? As a government servant, how could he treat a young woman like this?” she asked.
According to the woman, one of the accused physically assaulted her, striking her on the head, strangling her, and tearing her dress. He repeatedly tried to drag her into a nearby room. She added that one of the men attempted to rape her, though the attack happened so suddenly that she could not clearly identify who it was. “I was terrified after the attack. I eventually lost consciousness. When I regained my senses, I found local residents covering my body with clothes. My legs were badly injured, and I could barely sit.”
Doctors have advised her an MRI scan due to possible head injuries.
“If the locals hadn’t reached us in time, we might not have survived. They are not at fault,” she added, appealing to the police to release those arrested in connection with the subsequent mob assault.
Her female companion also suffered serious injuries to her legs. “The man was in an inebriate state. His companion was trying to stop but he continued to assault us. I screamed for help. My friend had consciousness. The man fled through the agricultural field and people ran after him. We don’t know what happened thereafter,” she said.
Families of some of the detainees have alleged that they have been wrongly picked up by police.
The Lynching
The confrontation escalated after the two men, identified as 32-year-old Government Railway Police (GRP) constable Soumya Ranjan Swain from Adaspur in Cuttack district and his friend Om Prakash Rout, allegedly chased and harassed the women following a road incident near Ramachandrapur bridge in Benupur area under Balianta police limits. Swain was then travelling with Rout, reportedly to meet a senior railway official for official work.
A mob gathered and brutally assaulted Swain and Rout in full public view. Videos circulating on social media showed Swain tied to an iron bar and beaten severely. He was rushed first to Balakati Community Health Centre and then to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, where he was declared dead. Rout sustained critical injuries.
Police have registered a case of attempt to rape against the deceased Swain based on the women’s complaint under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A separate murder case has been filed regarding the mob lynching.
The shocking daylight incident has sparked widespread outrage across Odisha, with questions raised about law and order and allegations that the assault on the men occurred in the presence of police personnel. “He was beaten to death in front of the police, but no one stepped in to save him,” the constable’s mother said.
Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena, however, maintained that PCR and local teams rescued the two men from the mob and shifted them to the hospital. He further informed that five persons have been detained in connection with the incident.
“Two young men riding a bike towards Bhingarpur collided with a scooter carrying two female students, causing the women to fall. The bike riders returned to the scene and attempted to help them. However, the students alleged that the men tried to abduct and molest them, and even attempted to rape them. They filed a police complaint, which is currently under investigation.Hearing the women’s screams, a crowd gathered and assaulted one of the young men, who had reportedly also confronted the mob. He sustained severe injuries in the attack. Police arrived eight minutes after receiving the call, but the young man was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. A manhunt has been launched, with four people already arrested. The remaining individuals involved in the mob violence are also being identified and apprehended,” Bhubaneswar-Cuttack CP S Dev Datta Singh told reporters on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Odisha State Commission for Women Chairperson Shovana Mohanty visited the incident site. She assured an impartial probe and strict action against those found guilty. “I will also meet the families of the two women,” she said, noting that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed authorities to take stringent measures in the case.
Odisha DGP Y B Khurania and the DCP also visited the area to oversee the investigation.
