Paralakhemundi, June 10: In a shocking case of vigilante justice, ten individuals — eight women and two men — have been arrested in Mohana of Gajapati district for allegedly murdering a 60-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting multiple women over several years.
The incident took place on the night of June 3 in a village under Mohana police limits. According to Gajapati Superintendent of Police (SP) Jatindra Kumar Panda, the group killed the man and later burned his body in a forested area around 2 km from the village.
Police sources said the immediate trigger was the alleged rape of a 52-year-old widow by the man on the same night. Enraged, the widow reportedly gathered other women from the village — several of whom claimed to be past victims of sexual assault by the deceased — and convened a meeting to plan their next steps.
Acting on their decision, the group allegedly stormed into the man’s house while he was asleep. The widow, with support from the others, is said to have hacked him to death. The body was then transported and set ablaze in a secluded hillock.
The murder came to light after the victim’s family filed a missing persons complaint. During the investigation, police recovered human remains, including bones and ashes, from the site.
Mohana police station in-charge Basant Sethi stated that the deceased had been a widower for the past four years and was suspected of having sexually assaulted several women during that time. “At least six of the arrested women have told us they were victims of sexual abuse by the man,” Sethi said.
SP Panda noted that none of the women had ever approached the police or lodged formal complaints against the man before the incident.
The case is currently under further investigation.
