Lewd remark sparks of clash in Odisha’s Ganjam; 4 brothers killed

One man, said to be among the attackers, was also seriously injured in the clash in Odisha’s Ganjam district.

Published on: Mar 24, 2022, 01:33:48 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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BHUBANESWAR: A lewd remark directed at a man who helped a woman triggered an altercation and an attack that led to the murder of four people in Odisha’s Ganjam district late on Tuesday, police said.

The four men killed in the clash had allegedly passed a lewd remark when one of the accused was trying to help a woman in Odisha’s Ganjam district (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Sambhu Swain and his brothers, Pandura and Raja, made an obscene remark when a man from Ramchandrapur, Sadhu Swain, was helping a woman who fell from a motorcycle near Shambu’s food stall in Ganjam’s Pital Chhak.

“Swain was having food at their fast food stall when a woman riding pillion on her husband’s bike fell off at Pital chhak at around 10 pm. When Sadhu Swain rushed to help her, Sambhu allegedly passed a lewd comment at Sadhu which led to an altercation. An hour later when the brothers were about to close their shop, Sadhu returned with five others and an altercation started again. Sambhu allegedly attacked Sadhu Swain with an iron angle on his head. Seeing Sadhu bleed, the five youth attacked Swain and his brothers with iron rods which led to the death of three brothers,” said Rai.

Their cousin, Chandan Swain, 17, who also received injuries, died on the way to the hospital.

One man from the rival side was also seriously injured in the clash and is fighting for his life in MKCG Medical College and Hospital of Berhampur.

Police said three men have been arrested. Following the incident, local residents blocked the national highway demanding the arrest of all accused.

Ganjam district collector Vijay Kulange, who visited the spot, said the government will help the family of the deceased.

Police said they are still trying to find out if there was any past enmity between the two groups.

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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