The Odisha Crime Branch has initiated an investigation into the tragic mob lynching of a Government Railway Police (GRP) constable near Bhubaneswar on May 7. Following directives from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the Crime Branch has taken charge of two cases registered at Balianta Police in Bhubaneswar. The CID Crime Branch in Cuttack has assumed control over the investigation of the cases involving alleged sexual assault and the subsequent death of Soumya Ranjan Swain at the hands of a mob.
The CID Crime Branch has appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police Ratnaprava Satapahty to lead the investigation. Under the direct supervision of Superintendent of Police Anirudha Routray, the probe aims for transparency and impartiality. Two cases were filed at Balianta Police immediately after the incident – one regarding the mob lynching of Soumya and the other based on a complaint by a girl accusing the deceased of a sexual assault attempt.
The Investigating Officer handling the case is expected to provide all case records, statements from involved individuals including the victim girls, deceased’s friend Om Prakash Rout, and villagers. The Crime Branch plans to scrutinize the actions of the PCR Van officers who were first responders at the scene to determine any potential negligence. The GRP constable, Soumya Ranjan Swain, was fatally assaulted by villagers over alleged sexual assault on two girls in the Balianta area near Bhubaneswar.
