Balianta Mob Lynching Case / 11 Named in Chargesheet Over GRP Constable Soumya Swain Lynching Case

Bhubaneswar, Aug 5: The Odisha Police on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against 11 individuals for their alleged involvement in the lynching of GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, who was killed by a mob in Balianta on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on May 7 after being accused of attempting to rape a woman, a senior police officer said.

Investigating Officer Ratnaprava Satapathy, a deputy SP in the CID-Crime Branch, submitted the 767-page chargesheet before the Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Bhubaneswar. Though 20 people were arrested, the CID found insufficient evidence against nine of them and proceeded against 11. “The evidence collected during the investigation is presently insufficient to constitute a prima facie case warranting their prosecution,” the CID-CB said in a statement.

The chargesheet has been filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those related to murder and rioting. The CID clarified that the investigation remains open to incorporate additional evidence, pending forensic reports, and other leads. Supplementary chargesheets may be filed if warranted.

The incident, which sparked statewide outrage, saw Swain tied to a pole and brutally assaulted by a mob, leading to his death. The postmortem report revealed 21 external injuries, severe head trauma, and blood clots in the brain and lungs, establishing the cause of death.
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Initially investigated by Balianta Police Station, the case was later handed over to the CID-Crime Branch on the orders of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, given its sensitivity. The local police had arrested 11 people, while the Crime Branch later nabbed nine more. Four police personnel and two home guards were suspended for alleged inaction and failure to control the mob.

Two parallel cases are being investigated: one concerning Swain’s murder and another related to the alleged attempt to rape the woman. The probe continues on priority, with efforts underway to apprehend other identified individuals, the officials said.