Rayagada: Police on Saturday arrested five more persons in connection with the alleged mob attack on a young woman from Delhi and her Gujarat-based colleague in the Kalyansinghpur area of Rayagada district. With these fresh arrests, the total number of accused taken into custody has risen to 21, police said.
According to police, the arrests were made based on CCTV footage, digital evidence, and videos collected from the scene. Earlier, 16 persons were arrested on Thursday in the same case.
The incident took place on the night of June 16 (Tuesday), when two fellowship workers—part of programmes run in collaboration with voluntary organisations—were allegedly attacked by a mob after rumours spread that they were child lifters. The woman from Delhi was working on initiatives related to solid waste management in Kalahandi district, while the man from Surat was involved in a turmeric packaging project in Kandhamal district. Police said the situation escalated quickly as misinformation spread through phone calls and word of mouth across nearby villages.
The victims were travelling on a scooter from Daringbadi in Kandhamal district to Thuamul Rampur in Kalahandi when they lost their way while using Google Maps and entered the Kalyansinghpur area. They stopped near Kandulguda village under Silet panchayat to ask for directions and interacted with locals, including children celebrating the Raja festival.
During this time, they reportedly distributed chocolates to children, after which rumours began spreading that they were attempting to lure minors. The situation soon turned volatile, with a mob gathering and confronting the duo.
Police said the volunteers tried to leave the area but were surrounded and questioned, despite showing identity documents and explaining their purpose. The situation escalated further when they attempted to seek police assistance.
The woman from Delhi alleged that the crowd continued to grow and became increasingly aggressive. She also alleged that they were assaulted when they tried to escape the situation.
“We were on an exposure visit and had done nothing wrong. Even after showing our identification documents, people continued to suspect us. The crowd kept growing and the situation became frightening,” the woman said.
Police said the duo’s scooter later skidded near Dhamunipanga panchayat while they were fleeing, after which they were caught by a larger mob and assaulted, leaving both injured.
Rayagada Superintendent of Police Raj Prasad said prompt action by Kalyansinghpur police led to the rescue of the victims.
“Acting swiftly, police rescued the two victims and arrested 16 persons on Thursday, including the prime accused. Today, five more accused were arrested based on CCTV footage and other evidence,” the SP said.
Police have registered four separate cases in connection with the incident.
The victims, who were working with voluntary organisations under a fellowship programme, were later taken to the Kalyansinghpur Community Health Centre and then shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Rayagada. Police confirmed that both have since been discharged.
Police added that the attack appears to have been triggered by false rumours, and efforts are underway to identify all individuals involved in the mob violence.
