Bhubaneswar: A 54-year-old man was apprehended Monday in connection with the lynching of a Government Railway Police (GRP) constable in Odisha, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 20, police said.
GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain was allegedly tied to a pole and beaten to death by a mob in the Bhingarpur-Kaja area under Balianta police station limits on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar May 7.
The incident occurred after a woman alleged that Swain attempted to rape her following a collision between his motorcycle and her two-wheeler, police said.
Based on substantial evidence collected during the investigation, the Crime Branch arrested Rabi alias Subash Bhoi (54), a resident of Kalarahanga village in Mancheswar police station area in Bhubaneswar, Monday afternoon, they said.
Bhoi was identified from video footage, police said.
“So far, a total of 20 accused have been arrested in connection with the case. The investigation is continuing on a priority basis,” a police officer said, adding that efforts were underway to identify and apprehend other persons involved in the incident.
The CID-Crime Branch is investigating the case. Around six more people are still absconding, an official said.
The Odisha government has suspended senior IPS officer Dayal Gangwar after it was found that he had engaged eight GRP constables, including Swain, in domestic work.
Swain’s family had alleged that he was harassed by the IPS officer and was under stress before he was killed.
The state government also suspended four other police personnel for allegedly failing to save Swain’s life during the assault despite being present at the spot. The inspector-in-charge of Balianta police station was also transferred following the incident.
A team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had conducted an on-the-spot inquiry into the incident.