Father of Deceased Seeks Strict Punishment for All Accused

The father of deceased youth Soumyaranjan Swain has expressed dissatisfaction over the ongoing Crime Branch investigation into the brutal Balianta murder case and demanded a CBI probe into the incident.

Appealing to the Chief Minister, he alleged that more people were involved in the murder than those arrested so far. While police have arrested 13 accused in connection with the case, the family claims nearly 40 persons were involved in the mob attack.

He further demanded life imprisonment or capital punishment for all those responsible for the killing.

Brutal Mob Assault Shocked Odisha

The horrific incident, which took place on May 7 in Balianta on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, had sparked outrage across Odisha due to its extreme brutality.

Soumyaranjan Swain was allegedly tied up, tortured and beaten to death by a violent mob in the presence of police personnel. Reports stated that he was hung upside down with his hands and legs tied before being attacked with rods and sticks.

His friend and gym trainer Omprakash Raut was also seriously injured in the incident.

Ten days have now passed since the incident, and the deceased youth’s family continues to seek justice while mourning the loss of their only son.

Crime Branch Conducting Multi-Angle Investigation

Following public outrage, the Chief Minister had ordered a Crime Branch investigation into the case. The State Women’s Commission Chairperson Shobhana Mohanty also visited the spot and met the victim involved in the incident.

The case has witnessed conflicting statements from the woman complainant and Soumyaranjan’s friend.

The woman alleged that she was misbehaved with and that Soumya’s friend was threatening to abduct her. However, Soumyaranjan’s friend denied the allegations and claimed that neither harassment nor any attempt to assault the woman had taken place.

Crime Branch officials are currently investigating all possible angles related to the case.

13 Arrested So Far in the Murder Case

Police have so far arrested 13 accused, including main accused Ranjit Patra. Initially, the Commissionerate Police had arrested 11 villagers in connection with the case.

After the Crime Branch took over the investigation, two more accused — Judhisthir Jena alias Banti and another prime accused known as Chinu — were arrested.

According to the preliminary postmortem report, Soumyaranjan died due to severe internal injuries caused during the assault.