BHUBANESWAR: Family members of government railway police constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, who was lynched by a mob in Balianta area here on Thursday for his alleged daylight rape attempt on a 24-year-old woman on the road, have demanded the suspension of police officers present at the scene, alleging that they failed to rescue him. Sources in the state police headquarters said that an internal inquiry is underway to verify the alleged police negligence in the issue. “Suspension of the erring staff of Balianta police station apart, we demand action against the police commissioner and deputy commissioner of police for mishandling the situation. Senior officers should have anticipated the gravity of the incident and rushed to the spot. They did not respond to the crisis,” said Swain’s mother, Kabita Swain. His uncle, Bhramarabara Sahoo, echoed the criticism. “Videos clearly show police personnel standing as mute spectators while the mob assaulted my nephew. They didn’t even call an ambulance. Instead, he was taken to hospital in a lorry. Had he been transported in an ambulance, the basic life support could have saved him,” Sahoo said. Police, however, rejected the allegations. “We responded swiftly after receiving the complaint. Prompt action was taken and several suspects have already been arrested,” said DCP Jagmohan Meena.
