Kendrapara, June 2: Tension ran high in the Ali police station area after hundreds of villagers staged a protest demanding the immediate rescue of a youth who has been missing since allegedly being brutally assaulted by a group of men.
The missing youth, identified as Gouranga Sethy of Mahadeipatan village, has reportedly been untraceable. His family alleged that he was attacked and tortured by six youths from the same village before he went missing.
According to a complaint lodged by Gouranga’s father, Arun Sethy, his son was tied up and subjected to severe physical assault. Despite filing a complaint with Ali police , the family alleged that no concrete action was taken against the accused persons.
The incident triggered widespread public outrage after a video purportedly showing Gouranga with his hands and legs tied while being assaulted by a group of men surfaced on social media and went viral. The disturbing footage sparked anger among villagers, who demanded immediate intervention by the police.
As tensions escalated, hundreds of residents gathered and gheraoed the Ali police station, pressing for the swift tracing of the missing youth and stringent action against those responsible for the alleged assault.
The protest continued for several hours before it was called off following the intervention of the Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), who arrived at the spot and assured the agitators that prompt action would be taken in the case.
However, villagers warned that they would intensify their agitation if Gouranga is not located soon and if the accused are not brought to justice.
Preliminary reports suggest that the assault was linked to a dispute over alleged vehicle vandalism in Mahadeipatan village.
In the FIR, the complainant has named six individuals, including Prakash Pandav, Tapas Pandav, Manoj Sahu, Pratap Mahakud, Lipu Mahakud and another person, accusing them of involvement in the alleged attack.
