A quiet Sunday evening walk along Giri Road turned into a nightmare of sticks and screams when a young couple was brutally assaulted by a gang in what police say was a planned attack rooted in previous enmity.
Umesh Rath (23) and his would-be wife Gayatri Patra were ambushed near Giri Road around 8:30 pm on May 18. According to the complaint filed by Umesh’s mother, Amulya Kumari Rath (47) of Gajapati Nagar, five persons surrounded the couple and rained blows with bamboo lathis. Umesh suffered fractures in both legs, while Gayatri sustained minor injuries while trying to shield him. Both were rushed to MKCG Medical College and Hospital; Umesh was later referred out for advanced treatment.
Acting swiftly on the complaint registered as Berhampur Town PS Case No.198 dated 19.05.2026 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police launched a crackdown and arrested two accused on Tuesday.
The arrested are Raj Malhotra (21), of Gajapati Nagar 4th Lane, who was allegedly present at the spot and actively assisted the assailants and Lingaraj Samal alias Rinku (24), of Sriram Nagar 6th Lane under Badabazar PS, who allegedly conspired the attack and later harboured the main accused.
From the duo, police seized two scooters, one bamboo lathi, and one mobile phone.
“Raj was directly involved in the assault while Rinku planned it and helped the others escape,” a police officer said. Both have been forwarded to court. Further investigation is underway to nab the remaining accused.
The case has sent ripples across Berhampur, especially because Umesh Rath himself has more than ten criminal cases registered against him in various police stations. Both arrested youths also carry criminal antecedents — Raj in two cases at BN Pur PS (including IPC sections and Explosive & Arms Act) and Rinku in cases at BN Pur and Badabazar PS.
