72 Arrested in Odisha's Balasore After Mob Assault on West Bengal SIR Officials Over Child-Lifting Rumour

Balasore, Odisha: In a swift crackdown, Odisha Police have arrested 72 individuals in connection with a violent mob attack on two Special Intensive Revision (SIR) officials from West Bengal, who were mistakenly suspected of being child abductors.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday in the Raibania area under the Raibania police station limits in Balasore district, near the Odisha-West Bengal border. The two officials, deployed as micro-observers for the SIR exercise to revise electoral rolls in West Bengal's Nayagram block, accidentally entered a village in Odisha, reportedly Rajnagar, due to a navigation error or communication gap while traveling in a hired auto-rickshaw.

Locals, already on edge amid circulating rumours of child lifters in the region, grew suspicious of the outsiders' presence. The mob accused the officers of being involved in child abduction, assaulted them, and briefly took them hostage.

When police from Raibania station arrived to rescue the officials, they encountered resistance from the crowd, including scuffles, manhandling, and heated arguments. The officers were eventually freed and provided medical treatment for their injuries.

Balasore Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Niranjan Behera confirmed that two separate cases have been registered in connection with the assault on the officials and the obstruction/attack on police personnel. Following verification of video footage and a major overnight operation, authorities arrested 72 people, including several women, who have been produced in court and remanded to judicial custody. Efforts are ongoing to trace and apprehend any remaining suspects.

The ASP appealed to the public not to act on unverified rumours related to child abductions.

"People should immediately report any genuine suspicions to the local police or dial the emergency helpline 112 instead of taking the law into their own hands," he said.

Officials warned that spreading or acting upon baseless rumours can lead to serious legal consequences and endanger innocent lives.

This episode highlights the dangers of misinformation and mob vigilantism, particularly in border areas where misunderstandings can escalate quickly. Authorities have urged residents to verify information through official channels to prevent such incidents in the future.

(This story is from a syndicated feed. Except the headline, nothing has been changed)

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