Key suspect in Balianta mob lynching case arrested; total arrests reach 16

The CID-Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Tuesday arrested one of the main culprits in the sensational mob lynching case of a Government Railway Police (GRP) constable at Balianta on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar earlier this month.

The accused, identified as Binod Kumar Behera (48), was apprehended from the Indupur area in Kendrapara district following a sustained search operation, officials said.

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According to the Crime Branch, the arrest was made on the basis of substantial evidence gathered during the investigation, which allegedly established the involvement of Behera, a native of the Satya Nagar area in Bhubaneswar, in the fatal assault on the GRP constable.

With the latest arrests, the total number of accused persons held in connection with the case has risen to 16. Of them, 11 had earlier been arrested by the local police before the probe was handed over to the CID-Crime Branch.

The Odisha government had entrusted the Crime Branch with the investigation into the high-profile incident that took place on May 7 under Balianta Police Station limits in the Bhingarpur-Kaja area, following widespread public outrage and concerns over rising incidents of mob violence.

Officials said the investigation is continuing on a priority basis, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend others involved in the incident.

The case pertains to the alleged mob lynching of a GRP constable who was reportedly suspected of attempting to molest two women following a road accident.