In a significant development in the high-profile lynching case of Government Railway Police (GRP) constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, a court has granted bail to six of the 20 individuals arrested in connection with the crime. The decision comes primarily due to insufficient evidence against them.
The tragic incident unfolded in May 2026 in the Balianta area near Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Swain was allegedly attacked by a mob following a road accident dispute involving a motorcycle collision with a woman’s two-wheeler. The woman accused the constable of attempted rape, after which a crowd reportedly tied him to a pole and beat him to death. The killing sparked widespread outrage and led to a probe by Odisha’s Crime Branch.
Out of the 20 people taken into custody, six have now been released on bail. Authorities had earlier dropped the names of nine individuals from the chargesheet citing a lack of concrete proof. Investigations indicate that another five to six suspects remain absconding and are still being sought by police.
The case continues to draw attention across Odisha as questions linger over the strength of the evidence against some of the accused and the progress in apprehending those still at large.
Crime Branch teams have previously questioned multiple suspects lodged in Jharpada Special Jail as part of the ongoing inquiry. Postmortem findings had confirmed that Swain, a 32-year-old officer, died from severe head injuries sustained during the assault.
While bail has been granted to six, the legal process against the remaining accused is expected to proceed. Families of the victim and local residents continue to demand thorough justice in a case that highlighted tensions around mob violence and police safety in the state.
