One more held for lynching; victims of attempted rape seek release of all arrested for saving them

One more person was held on Friday in connection with the lynching of a man who was accused of trying to sexually assault two women in Odishas Khurda district, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five, police said on Friday.

One more person was held on Friday in connection with the lynching of a man who was accused of trying to sexually assault two women in Odisha's Khurda district, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five, police said on Friday. The women who survived the attempted sexual assault, however, urged the government to release the arrested people, contending that they were the saviours. Director General of Police Y B Khurania and State Commission for Women (SCW) Chairperson Sobhna Mohanty undertook an on-the-spot inquiry during the day. Accompanied by Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena, the DGP inspected the place under the Balianta Police Station limits on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, where a mob attacked two men on Thursday, leaving one of them dead and another critically injured, an officer said. ''Based on video footage, one more person was arrested in the case, taking the total number of apprehended people to five. All those who took the law into their hands will be booked,'' the DGP said. Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo said, ''The CM has asked both the chief secretary and the DGP to ensure that strict legal action is taken against culprits.'' As the video of the mob lynching went viral on social media, the state witnessed outrage with opposition BJD and Congress hitting the streets. The youth and students wing of the BJD staged a demonstration in front of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's official residence, demanding his resignation over the ''deteriorating'' law-and-order situation in the state. BJD leader S K Das Burma alleged that Odisha has turned into a hub of crime and the BJP government has failed to maintain law and order. Addressing a press conference, state Congress spokesperson Sonali Sahoo said, ''Two girls in distress called up the police control room, but did not get any response. The mob lynched the GRP constable in front of the police after they arrived. This is tragic, condemnable, and shameful.'' Meanwhile, State Commission for Women (SCW) Chairperson Sobhna Mohanty undertook an on-the-spot inquiry during the day and met the victim women at their houses. She also visited the lynching site. After meeting the two victims, Mohanty said, ''They want police security. They will be provided with all assistance. I will submit the report to the chief minister, recommending action based on the findings.'' One of the two victims of the attempted sexual assault on Friday said she lost consciousness during the incident and, after returning to her senses, found herself wrapped in a towel with her dress torn off. Narrating the ordeal she went through on Thursday, the woman said she, along with her female friend, was travelling on a two-wheeler near Ramchandrapur bridge in Balianta police station area, when two men on a motorbike made lewd remarks. ''They overtook us and came back to hit our scooty. We fell on the road, following which they attacked us,'' she told Mohanty. The woman said one of the two men hit her on the head, and she lost consciousness. ''After coming to my senses, I found myself wrapped in a towel and my dress torn off. The attacker was asking his friend to take me to a room,'' she said, alleging that one of the men attempted to rape her. ''I survived because the local people had gathered there. My legs are severely injured, and I am unable to sit properly,'' the survivor said. Her 22-year-old companion also suffered serious injuries to her legs. She said, ''The man was drunk. Though his companion was trying to stop him, he continued to assault us. I screamed for help. My friend had lost consciousness. After the local people arrived, the attackers fled to a nearby agricultural field.'' During their interaction with the SCW chairperson, both women pleaded that the five arrested people be released as they had saved their lives. After the post-mortem, the police handed over the body of the lynching victim, 32-year-old GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, to his family. His alleged companion, Om Prakash Rout (22), who suffered critical injuries in the mob attack, was in police custody. Cuttack GRP SP Bhawani Shankar Udgata stated that Swain had been suspended and a case was already registered against him for allegedly harassing a woman in 2021. Police registered a case of attempted rape against Swain based on the women's complaint, while a separate case of murder has been filed over the mob lynching. DCP Jagmohan Meena said both cases have been registered at the Balianta police station. The mother of the deceased alleged that her son was beaten to death in the presence of police. Hundreds of people from Swain's village blocked a road in Cuttack district, demanding the arrest of all people involved in the lynching incident. An association of police personnel, of which Swain was a member, also demanded the arrest of the culprits in the lynching.