A constable of the Government Railway Police (GRP) was allegedly lynched by a mob in the Balianta area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on Thursday (May 7, 2026), after he was accused of molesting a woman.

According to police, two women travelling on a scooter near Bingharpur under Balianta police limits were reportedly overtaken by two youths on a motorcycle around forenoon. The women fell off their vehicle, after which the youths allegedly attempted to molest them.

Bystanders intervened to rescue the women, but according to police the incident escalated when the youths allegedly denied the accusations and started arguing, driving the crowd into a frenzy.

One of the youths, identified as Soumya Ranjan Swain, a constable with the GRP in Cuttack, was overpowered by the mob. He was tied up and severely beaten. Though the Police Control Room was alerted and a team rushed to the spot, the situation had spiralled out of control by then.

Swain was later taken to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The other youth was rescued by locals and handed over to the police.

“We have received two complaints. In one FIR, the woman has alleged that the deceased attempted to rape her. In another, the family of the deceased have accused unidentified persons of murdering Swain,” said Jagmohan Meena, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar.

Mr. Meena dismissed allegations that police personnel were present and did not intervene. He insisted that they tried to disperse the mob and rescue the youths.

Police have formed teams to identify those involved in the mob attack from video footage that has gone viral.