Bhubaneswar, June 24: A horrifying incident of mob justice in Odisha’s Ganjam district has sparked statewide outrage. On June 22, 2025, two Dalit men were allegedly tortured by a group of villagers in Kharigumma under Dharakote block, on suspicion of cattle smuggling.

The victims were reportedly tied up, beaten, and then forced to crawl for nearly two kilometers. In a shocking act of humiliation, they were made to eat grass and drink drainage water.

The police have arrested seven individuals and detained two others for questioning. The incident has triggered widespread protests, with over 40 Dalit families and representatives of Dalit organizations meeting with the Ganjam District Collector, SP, and RDC to demand justice.

A government investigation team, including the Bhanjanagar Sub-Collector, Dharakote BDO, and Tehsildar, visited the victims’ families.

The political fallout has been intense. The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, led by Bhakta Charan Das, dispatched a fact-finding team to the victims’ village. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the incident on social media.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders accused the arrested individuals of being supporters of Congress MLA Ramesh Jena. BJP spokesperson Uttam Panigrahi demanded strict action and questioned the previous BJD government’s handling of law and order.

This is not an isolated case in Odisha. The state has witnessed a disturbing pattern of kangaroo court incidents in recent years-from forced evictions in Kendrapara in 2022 to public beatings in Balangir and Jagatsinghpur. The Dharakote case has reignited calls for the state government to enact stringent laws to curb such extrajudicial brutality.

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