- Police arrested 72 people linked to assault on two West Bengal officials in Odisha
- Locals suspected the officials of child kidnapping and confined them in a mob
- Police faced resistance and scuffles when rescuing the two officials from the crowd
Police have arrested 72 persons in connection with the alleged assault on two officials from West Bengal deployed for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, who entered Odisha's Balasore district by mistake.
According to sources, the incident took place on Wednesday, when the two officials had reportedly entered the area by mistake while travelling towards Nayagram in neighbouring West Bengal.
Reports indicate that some local residents grew suspicious of their presence and accused them of being child kidnappers. The officials were allegedly manhandled and confined by a mob.
When police personnel arrived at the scene to rescue the two officials, they reportedly faced resistance from members of the crowd, including scuffles and heated arguments.
Police have registered two separate cases in connection with the incident.
Balasore Addi SP Balasore Niranjan Behera urged citizens to immediately inform the local police if they suspect any individual, rather than taking law into their own hands. The police also advised residents to dial the emergency helpline number 112 in case of suspicion. Authorities reiterated that spreading or acting upon unverified rumours can attract serious legal consequences.
With inputs from Dev Kumar
