Crime Branch Files Chargesheet Against 11 in GRP Constable Soumya Swain Lynching Case
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Crime Branch on Wednesday submitted a chargesheet against 11 individuals in connection with the alleged mob lynching of Government Railway Police (GRP) constable Soumya Ranjan Swain at Balianta on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. The agency, however, has kept the investigation open to gather further evidence and identify other suspects.
The 767-page chargesheet was filed before the Court of the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Bhubaneswar, by Investigating Officer Ratnaprava Satapathy, Deputy Superintendent of Police, CID-Crime Branch.
Those named in the chargesheet are Judhistira Jena, Ranjit Patra, Ranjit Rana, Panchanan Badajena, Binod Kumar Behera, Pradeep Chandra Mangaraj, Ashok Kumar Jena, Bibhuti Bhusan Parida, Subash Bhoi, Skylab Pati and Bismay Mohanty.
The accused have been booked under Sections 103(1), 191(2), 191(3), 189(4), 190 and 127(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to the Crime Branch, the charges are backed by oral testimonies, documentary records, scientific findings and other corroborative evidence collected during the investigation.
Officials said the 11 are among the 20 people arrested in the case. The Crime Branch also examined the role of the remaining nine arrested persons—Santosh Pati alias Mantu, Suraj Ojha, Sangram Bhoi, Pramod Jena, Bunty Jena, Surajit Rana, Abhisek Kar, Sadananda Khuntia and Bikram Keshari Das. Investigators stated that the evidence available so far does not establish their direct involvement in the assault, and therefore no prima facie case has been made out against them at this stage.
The agency clarified that the investigation will continue under Section 193(9) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). It is awaiting pending forensic reports, collecting additional evidence and pursuing fresh leads to identify other persons allegedly involved. If new evidence surfaces, supplementary chargesheets will be filed.
The case relates to the death of GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, who allegedly lost his life after being attacked by a mob in the Bhingarpur-Kaja area under Balianta police limits on May 7.
According to investigators, Swain and his colleague Om Prakash Rout were travelling on a motorcycle when it collided with a scooter carrying two women. Police alleged that Swain assaulted the women and attempted to rape one of them, following which an enraged crowd attacked him. He later succumbed to his injuries.
The post-mortem examination found 21 external injuries on Swain’s body. The report attributed his death to severe head injuries that caused blood clotting and swelling in the brain, while blood clots were also detected in his lungs.
Police have registered two separate cases arising from the incident—one relating to the alleged lynching of the constable and another concerning the alleged attempted rape of a woman. Investigation into both cases remains underway.
