Mob Violence / Soumya Ranjan Swain’s Family May Move High Court over Balianta Mob Killing

Bhubaneswar, Jul 21: The Balianta mob violence case, which claimed the life of GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, has taken a dramatic turn as his family has indicated they may move the High Court seeking justice.

Soumya’s mother, Kabita Swain, in an exclusive interview with Argus News, expressed her dissatisfaction with the ongoing Crime Branch investigation, stating that she no longer has faith in its findings.

Her remarks came after reports suggested that Om, a key witness, had spoken the truth during his lie detection test.

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Kabita Swain questioned why similar tests had not been conducted on the two women who had accused Soumya of attempted sexual assault, an allegation that allegedly triggered the mob attack.

She pointed out inconsistencies between Om’s statements and those of the women, raising doubts about the credibility of the charges.

Kabita Swain stressed that if Om’s version is true, then the allegations of attempted assault were false, and demanded that the authorities conduct lie detection tests on the women as well.

She reiterated that her family would not hesitate to approach the High Court if necessary to ensure justice for her son.

Meanwhile, the state government has taken significant action in connection with the case. Senior IPS officer Dayal Gangwar, a 1998-batch officer, has been suspended following serious allegations of indiscipline linked to the incident.

The Home Department issued the suspension order, marking a strong step in response to the controversy.

The tragic incident occurred on May 7, when Soumya Ranjan Swain was brutally beaten to death near Balianta Kaj Bridge. The Crime Branch has so far arrested 18 individuals in connection with the case, while several others remain absconding.

For Soumya’s grieving family, the fight for justice continues. Their demand for accountability and transparency in the investigation underscores the deep mistrust that has emerged around the handling of the case.