Key accused held in Balianta lynching case

Bhubaneswar: The state crime branch (CB) on Tuesday arrested a key accused in connection with the brutal mob lynching of railway constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, 32, in Balianta area on the city outskirts on May 7.Binod Kumar Behera, 48, of Satya Nagar in Bhubaneswar, is the 16th person to be arrested in the case that triggered outrage across the state.According to CB investigators, Behera was passing through Balianta when he noticed a crowd on the roadside. On hearing that Swain had allegedly attempted to rape a 22-year-old woman in broad daylight, Behera joined the mob and assaulted the constable.“We identified his involvement through video footage. He was absconding and kept shifting locations before being nabbed in Indupur area of Kendrapada district on Tuesday morning,” said IGP (Crime Branch) Sarthak Sarangi.Police confirmed Behera had no personal link to Swain. “We are still tracking 8 to 10 more suspects. Everyone involved will be arrested. Those sheltering absconders will face legal consequences,” Sarangi warned. The crime branch inquiry revealed that Swain was in a hallucinatory state, likely triggered by a suspected steroid overdose — traces of which were apparently found in his blood.He reportedly mistook a woman on a scooter for another woman who filed a sexual harassment case against him in 2021.Swain allegedly assaulted her and attempted rape, prompting locals to intervene. The mob attack that followed proved fatal. Although local police arrived while Swain was still alive, they failed to prevent the assault from escalating, drawing sharp criticism for their alleged inefficiency. Four police personnel were later suspended, and Balianta inspector-in-charge was shunted for alleged negligence.