Dhauli Police have arrested seven individuals in connection with the kidnapping and brutal beating of a 14-year-old boy in the Gopinathpur Krushnapur area in Bhubaneswar outskirts.
The arrests were prompted by a viral video of the assault circulating on social media, leading to swift police action. One minor has also been detained and presented before the Juvenile Justice Board, while some suspects remain at large.
The complainant, Namita Mallick, filed a report (case no 245), alleging that the attack stemmed from prior enmity. According to her statement, her son, Pradeep Mallick, was targeted due to an earlier altercation. Police investigations revealed that on October 5, 2025, Pradeep had visited Dhauli Hill for an outing. Near the bus stand, he got into a heated argument with another minor who verbally abused him, escalating into a physical scuffle.
The situation worsened the next day, October 6, when the accused, led by Biswanath Kandi alias Gaura (19), along with six others—Sibuna Behera (19), Raja Nayak (19), Swarup Prakash (19), Jashman Bhoi (19), Shubhrajit Pradhan (19), and Satyajit Mallick (20)—allegedly abducted Pradeep from near a pan shop close to Dhauli Hill. They took him to the Pamsara canal bank, where they collectively assaulted him in a near-fatal manner. The group recorded the beating and shared the video online, further threatening to kill him if he reported the incident to the police.
Pradeep, traumatised by the ordeal, remained silent about the attack for weeks. It was only on October 30, when Namita visited the Sardeipur market and was shown the viral video by relatives, that the family learned the full extent of the incident. She immediately lodged a complaint at the Dhauli Police Station.
Following the report, police launched an investigation, apprehending the seven accused from the Dhauli area. During interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement. Authorities have stated that the probe is ongoing, with efforts underway to capture the remaining fugitives.
