Loading article...
A total of 11 people have been arrested in connection with the mob lynching of railway constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, 32, in Odisha, India, on May 7. The incident occurred under the Balianta police station limits on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, where Swain was beaten to death by a mob after being accused of attempting to rape a woman on a busy road.
According to a key eyewitness, Om Prakash, who was accompanying Swain at the time, the assault took place in the presence of police, with locals dragging Swain into an agricultural field where he was allegedly assaulted.
The woman involved in the incident maintained that she believed Swain was attempting to sexually assault her, while Swain's family members questioned the allegation, stating it was "beyond imagination" that someone would attempt rape on a busy road in broad daylight.
The State Government has ordered a Crime Branch probe into the case, with the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) escalating its attack on the alleged deterioration of law and order in Odisha. The court will resume hearing on the case, with the police expected to submit their report soon.