E-Paper
Odisha couple beaten on street; six detained after videos spark outrage
The assault, captured on mobile phones and widely circulated online, showed a man and a woman being repeatedly beaten with hockey sticks and wooden batons.
A young couple was brutally assaulted with hockey sticks and wooden batons in full public view on a busy road in Berhampur on Monday night, in an attack police suspect was linked to a long-running gang rivalry, triggering outrage across Odisha after videos of the incident went viral and prompted the detention of six persons.
The assault, captured on mobile phones and widely circulated online, showed a man and a woman being repeatedly beaten on Giri Road in Berhampur while bystanders watched without intervening.
The incident quickly acquired political overtones, with former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday launching a sharp attack on the BJP government over the state’s law-and-order situation. In a strongly worded post on X, Patnaik described the assault as “inhuman” and alleged that “goondaraj” was prevailing in the state.
“The sight of a young man and woman being brutally beaten to near death on Berhampur’s Giri Road has shaken the conscience of Odisha,” Patnaik said, questioning the effectiveness of policing and public safety measures.
Police identified the injured man as Umesh Rath, a resident of Gosaninuagaon in Berhampur, who was allegedly attacked while accompanying his fiancée, Gayatri, near a roadside eatery around 9pm on Monday. According to police, the couple had stopped near a food stall when a group of youths armed with hockey sticks and wooden batons arrived and allegedly launched a coordinated assault.
Eyewitnesses said Umesh was dragged onto the road and beaten mercilessly, while Gayatri, who tried to shield him, was also assaulted. Videos circulating online show the attackers repeatedly striking the victims as onlookers gathered nearby, though no one appeared to intervene. Some clips purportedly from the scene appear to show attackers instructing others not to hit Umesh on the head and instead target other parts of his body.
Both victims were initially admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital. Due to the severity of his injuries, including multiple fractures, Umesh was later shifted to Visakhapatnam for advanced treatment. Police said Gayatri also sustained injuries during the attack.
Berhampur superintendent of police Vivek Saravana said an FIR had been registered against five accused persons, including Ashish Sahu and Mukesh Sahu, while raids were underway to apprehend the remaining suspects.
“Six persons directly or indirectly linked to the case have been detained and are being questioned. The main accused will be arrested soon, and strict legal action will follow,” the SP said.
Police suspect the violence was linked to an old gang rivalry involving Umesh and a local criminal network allegedly known as the ‘Mogli Gang’. Officials said Umesh was once associated with the gang but later split away and formed a separate group, triggering a bitter rivalry that had escalated over the past two years through repeated attacks and counter-attacks.
According to police records, Umesh faces more than 15 criminal cases, including attempted murder, intimidation and violent assault. Members of both factions also have criminal antecedents, with several having previously spent time in jail.
Police are examining whether Monday’s assault was retaliation for an earlier incident in March in which Umesh and several associates allegedly attacked the residence of a person linked to the rival group.
