Boy, 15, lynched on theft suspicion in Mayurbhanj; 12 held after video surfaces

Based on the viral video and subsequent inquiry, 12 persons have been arrested.

Published on: Mar 3, 2026, 18:56:52 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: A 15-year-old, a grade 9 student, was allegedly lynched by villagers on suspicion of theft in Mayurbhanj district while his friend is batting for life after being beaten up by a mob.

Police arrested 12 persons after a video of the assault went viral on social media.

Police said the 15-year-old from a village under the Badampahar police station jurisdiction and his friend were tied up and brutally beaten by a group of people of Indukudi village under Tiring police station area of Mayurbhanj on Monday over allegations that they had stolen goats.

"A kangaroo court was held in the village where the two boys were held guilty before being assaulted with sticks even as they pleaded for mercy," said a police officer from Tiring police station who reached the spot and rescued the duo in a critical condition.

"They were first shifted to a hospital in Rairangpur and later referred to Baripada for advanced treatment. The 15-year-old succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The other boy remains critical."

Based on the viral video and subsequent inquiry, 12 persons were arrested.

Police said rumours of theft were circulating in the area for the past few days, prompting villagers to take the law into their own hands. Police said attempts were allegedly made to suppress the incident but the assault came to light after a video clip surfaced online.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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