Bhubaneswar: Odisha Crime Branch, Tuesday apprehended another key accused in the sensational murder of 32-year-old GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain under Balianta police limits in Bhubaneswar, officials said.
With the latest apprehension, the total number of accused arrested in connection with the case has risen to 19. The accused, identified as Bibhuti Bhusan Parida alias Happy (26), a resident of Benupur under Balianta, was nabbed during a late-night operation in the Bidanashi area of Cuttack.
The case pertains to the brutal assault and mob attack that took place May 7 in the Bhingarpur-Kaja area under Balianta police station limits. Following the sensitivity of the incident, the state government handed over the case to Crime Branch for further investigation.
According to the Crime Branch, the arrest was made on the intervening night of June 22 and 23 based on substantial evidence collected during the investigation. Officials said the probe has established the involvement of the accused in the assault on the deceased. The case was registered as CID Crime Branch police station case number 06/2026 May 9, out of Balianta police station case number 221/2026 under Sections 103(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The Crime Branch said the investigation is continuing on priority and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend other persons involved in the crime. Swain, a resident of Moujpur village under Olatpur police limits in Cuttack district and posted with the GRP in Cuttack, had reportedly been involved in an altercation with two young women along with his friend Om Prakash Rout.
Police said the duo allegedly chased the women on a motorcycle and rammed their scooter before locals intercepted them. While Rout managed to escape, Swain was caught by the mob and assaulted. He was later taken to Balakati Community Health Centre and then referred to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, where doctors declared him dead.