Youth dies after mob assault following alleged attack on two women in Odisha
By Sukant Mohanty
Bhubaneswar, May 7: A youth died after being allegedly beaten by an angry mob following a brutal attack on two women at Bhingarpur under Balianta police station limits on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on Thursday, police said. Another accused was detained for questioning.
According to eyewitnesses and local residents, the two accused youths allegedly attacked the women in broad daylight, triggering panic in the area and outrage among locals.
The injured women, who sustained grievous injuries, were rushed to a nearby hospital and are stated to be in critical condition. Police said both are under medical supervision.
Preliminary information suggests the accused allegedly tried to hit the women with their motorcycle and later dragged them on the road during an altercation. They also allegedly attempted to sexually assault the victims before trying to flee from the spot, sources said.
The incident drew immediate attention from passersby and local residents after the women were seen being assaulted on a busy stretch of road. Enraged over the incident, locals chased the two accused, reportedly residents of Adaspur, overpowered them and allegedly assaulted them before police arrived.
One of the accused later succumbed to injuries sustained in the assault, while the other was taken into custody by Balianta police.
Police have launched an investigation into the sequence of events and are examining all possible angles, including allegations of attempted sexual assault and mob violence.
An eyewitness, who claimed to have intervened during the incident, said he saw the accused attacking the women and allegedly forcing himself on one of them on the roadside.
“The incident took place around 11 am. I heard a commotion and rushed to the spot. One of the boys was assaulting a girl brutally while another was behaving indecently with the other victim. We tried to rescue them and informed the police and ambulance services,” the eyewitness said.
He alleged that locals became agitated after witnessing the attack and later assaulted the accused youths.
The eyewitness also criticised the delay in emergency response, claiming that locals had to arrange a private vehicle to shift the injured women to hospital after failing to get immediate assistance.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagamohan Meena said the police had launched a probe into the incident and the people who lynched of the accused were being identified based on the video circulating on social media.
