Bhubaneswar: CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday ordered a Crime Branch investigation into Thursday’s brutal mob lynching of railway constable Soumya Ranjan Swain in Balianta area on Thursday.Swain was tied to a pole and beaten mercilessly in full public view like an animal after being accused of sexually harassing a woman on a busy road.Reviewing the state’s law and order in the wake of the barbaric killing, Majhi expressed deep anger and directed DGP Y B Khurania to ensure such incidents never recur. Sources said the chief minister also reprimanded senior officers of the commissionerate police for their alleged mishandling of the situation.“The chief minister instructed the police to take the toughest possible measures to uphold the rule of law in the state,” a statement from the CMO said.The review came amid sharp criticism from opposition parties over a surge in heinous crimes in recent weeks. It coincided with police arresting six more men in connection with the lynching, taking the total number of arrests to 11. “The arrest count will rise as raids are underway at multiple locations,” a senior officer said.Meanwhile, Swain’s fellow villagers staged a road blockade on the Adaspur-Niali stretch, demanding action against police officials who allegedly failed to prevent the violence despite being present at the scene.His father, Dhusasana Swain, voiced anger over the lack of accountability: “At least three uniformed officers and two in plainclothes reached. They did little to save him. Senior officers failed to grasp the gravity of the situation and did not issue directions. They must face action for their inaction.”Swain’s friend Om Prakash Patra, who witnessed the attack, alleged that a plainclothes officer even joined the mob in assaulting Swain. Police have denied the claim, stating: “None of our staff assaulted the victim. Our control room team rescued him and rushed him to hospital, where he was declared dead.”Despite widespread outrage over alleged police inaction, DCP Jagmohan Meena praised the force’s efforts on Thursday, drawing sharp criticism and trolling on social media.Opposition BJD and Congress continued to slam the government, citing deteriorating law and order. Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan hit back. “The government is committed to ensuring all culprits are arrested and measures are being taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents.”
