Bhubaneswar, 09 May (H.S.): The Commissionerate Police on Saturday arrested six more persons in connection with the Balianta mob lynching case, taking the total number of arrests to 11.

Earlier, five individuals had been taken into custody in connection with the incident in which 32-year-old GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain was killed on May 7 near Ramachandrapur under Balianta police limits on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

According to police sources, the alleged mob violence followed an earlier altercation involving the constable and his associate, Om Prakash Rout, who were accused of assaulting two women. The women alleged that the two men, travelling on a motorcycle, made objectionable remarks while they were riding a scooter and subsequently rammed their vehicle, causing them to fall.

One of the women further alleged that after falling, she was physically assaulted, struck on the head, strangled, and her clothes were torn. She also claimed that the accused attempted to drag her repeatedly before locals intervened.

Police said that following the incident, a crowd gathered at the spot and attacked the constable and his associate. Visuals of the assault, which later surfaced on social media, showed Swain being tied to an iron pole and beaten by a group of people.

Investigators are now examining all angles of the case, including the sequence of events leading to the confrontation and the subsequent mob attack. Police have stated that further legal action will be taken based on evidence collected during the ongoing investigation.

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda