Bhubaneswar, May 26: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has apprehended another suspect linked to the mob lynching of Government Railway Police (GRP) constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, which occurred on May 7 in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, specifically in Balianta.
The arrested individual, Binod Kumar Behera (48), is a resident of the Saty Nagar area in Bhubaneswar.
Sources from the Crime Branch revealed that solid evidence gathered during the investigation led to Behera’s arrest on the night of May 25 in Indupur, located in the Kendrapara district.
Investigators confirmed that the suspects were involved in the attack on the deceased. To date, a total of 16 suspects have been arrested in connection with this case.
It is noteworthy that 11 of these suspects were previously apprehended by Balianta police. The Crime Branch is actively working to identify and capture additional individuals involved in this horrific incident.
Sarthak Sarangi, IG of the Crime Branch, stated during a media briefing that the agency identified the suspects through a viral video of the incident. He further mentioned that approximately 8 to 10 alleged accomplices are still at large.
On May 7, a mob of villagers brutally beat Soumya, accusing him of attempting to sexually assault a girl in the Balianta area. Soumya was traveling with his friend Om Prakash when they encountered two girls riding a scooter in the Bhingarapur-Kaja area under Balianta police jurisdiction.
A dispute arose after a reported collision between their motorcycle and the girls’ scooter. One of the girls accused Soumya of sexual harassment, prompting local villagers to rush to the scene and attack both men. Police later intervened and transported them to a hospital, where doctors pronounced Soumya dead.
Leave a Comment