Bhubaneswar, May 8: The two women injured in the shocking Balianta incident on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on Friday recounted the horrific sequence of events, alleging assault, attempted rape and reckless violence by two youths before enraged locals intervened and attacked the accused, leading to the death of one of them yesterday.

Speaking exclusively to Argus News, the survivor alleged that the accused -- including a GRP constable -- rammed their motorcycle into the women’s scooty from behind before assaulting them on the road.

“How can a constable stop me in the middle of the road, hit our bike from behind and beat me up? Being a government employee, how could he behave like this with a girl?” she questioned.

The woman further alleged that the accused assaulted her brutally, hit her on the head and tore her clothes in public.

“Is it humanity to beat a girl and tear her clothes in the middle of the road? I suffered serious head injuries after they hit us at high speed,” she said.

According to the victim, another woman accompanying her sustained severe leg injuries and underwent an X-ray examination, while doctors advised her to undergo an MRI scan for head injuries.

“I was terrified after the attack. I lost consciousness after some time. When I regained my senses, I found local people covering my body with clothes. My legs were critically injured and I could barely sit,” she recalled.

The victim claimed she had never seen the accused before the incident and alleged that one of them attempted to rape her.

“I have lodged a complaint against both persons. One among them attempted rape, though I could not identify exactly who did it because everything happened suddenly,” she stated.

She further appealed to the police and government not to take action against the locals who intervened during the incident.

“Had the local people not intervened, I would not be alive today. They saved me. Police are now arresting those people for whom I survived, which is not proper,” she said.

The woman maintained that the locals acted out of anger after witnessing the alleged assault and did not intend to kill anyone.

“I never wanted anyone to lose life. I only wanted police action against the accused. But after seeing such cruel behaviour, anybody would have become angry,” she added.

Second Survivor Narrates Sequence Of Events
Another woman injured in the incident also narrated the alleged ordeal, claiming she and her friend were travelling towards Gangeswar on a scooty when two youths crossed them on a motorcycle and later returned.

“We were on our way to Gangeswar when the two youths suddenly collided their vehicle with our scooty. I was riding the scooty and both of us fell on the road. My leg got stuck under the vehicle,” she alleged.

According to her, one of the accused then allegedly assaulted her friend, abused them verbally and behaved inappropriately.

“One of them attacked my friend on her head, used abusive language and even kissed her. Meanwhile, the other person was shouting that they had targeted the wrong woman. My friend lost consciousness during the chaos,” she claimed.

She further alleged that the accused attempted to take the injured woman away from the spot.

“He was saying to take her to a room. I immediately screamed for help. When local people came to rescue us, the accused also attacked them,” she said.

The survivor claimed neither she nor her friend knew the two youths earlier and alleged the accused appeared intoxicated.

“We had never seen them before. The man was in an intoxicated condition and was abusing and attacking people. When he realised that the woman he assaulted was not the person he intended to target, he tried to flee from the spot. However, locals chased and overpowered him,” she alleged.

The woman said local residents rescued them, shifted them to safety and later took them to hospital.

“Had the local residents not saved us, we might have been killed. My friend sustained severe head injuries and her dress was torn during the incident. Some local people covered her with clothes,” she said.

She also rejected allegations made by family members of the deceased youth that the women had instigated the mob assault.

“We never asked people to beat them. Those allegations are completely false and baseless. We will move court and fight for justice,” she asserted.

What Happened In Balianta?
Police arrested six persons in connection with the brutal assault and death of a youth near the Ramachandrapur Bridge under Balianta Police Station limits on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on Thursday afternoon. Police are also questioning several other individuals and more arrests are likely in the coming days based on viral videos of the incident.

The deceased was identified as Soumya Ranjan Swain, while another injured youth, Om Prakash Rout, remains in critical condition and is undergoing treatment.

According to police and local sources, the incident took place in the Bhingarpur area when two youths travelling on a motorcycle allegedly collided with a scooter carrying two women. An argument reportedly broke out between the two groups following the collision.

Also Read: Police Arrest Six For Brutal Assault And Death Of Youth In Bhubaneswar's Balianta

The women later alleged that the youths attempted to sexually assault and misbehave with them. They reportedly raised an alarm and also contacted the emergency helpline 112 seeking help.

Hearing the commotion and cries for help, local residents rushed to the spot. The crowd allegedly overpowered the two youths, tied their hands and legs with bamboo sticks, and brutally assaulted them in broad daylight.

Both injured youths were later rushed to Capital Hospital in critical condition. However, Soumya Ranjan Swain succumbed to his injuries during treatment.