Bhubaneswar: A young man was killed and another critically injured after a group of locals allegedly assaulted them in broad daylight over claims of attempted sexual assault on two women in the Bhingarapur area under Balianta police station limits in Bhubaneswar on Thursday afternoon.
The incident began when two youths on a motorcycle collided with a two-wheeler carrying two women. A heated argument erupted between the groups following the collision. The women later alleged that the youths attempted to sexually assault them.
Hearing the commotion and the women’s cries for help, residents from the area rushed to the spot. The crowd overpowered the two youths, tied their hands and legs with bamboo sticks, and brutally assaulted them.
Both injured youths were rushed to Capital Hospital in critical condition. One of them, Soumya Ranjan Swain from the Adaspur area, succumbed to his injuries. Swain was reportedly a personnel with the Government Railway Police. The second youth, Om Prakash Rout, remains in critical condition and is undergoing treatment. Police have recorded Rout’s statement.
A relative of the deceased questioned how a group could kill someone in broad daylight over alleged misbehaviour, suggesting that there could be other underlying reasons behind the incident that require thorough investigation.
A murder case has been registered at the Balianta police station, and an investigation is underway. The Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of the station said preliminary inquiries have not revealed any prior enmity between the parties involved.
Senior police officials confirmed that the two women have filed a written complaint at the police station. According to the complaint, the youths allegedly tried to run them over with their motorcycle and misbehaved with them. The women had also dialled the emergency helpline 112 and alerted locals during the incident.
The investigation is continuing, and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings, police said.
