Bhubaneswar, Aug 5: The Odisha Crime Branch on Wednesday filed a 767-page chargesheet against 11 persons in connection with the alleged mob lynching of Government Railway Police (GRP) constable Soumya Ranjan Swain at Balianta on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. The investigating agency, however, said the probe will remain open to gather additional evidence and trace other suspects involved in the incident.

The chargesheet was submitted before the Court of the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Bhubaneswar, by Investigating Officer Ratnaprava Satapathy, Deputy Superintendent of Police, CID-Crime Branch.

The accused named in the chargesheet are Judhistira Jena, Ranjit Patra, Ranjit Rana, Panchanan Badajena, Binod Kumar Behera, Pradeep Chandra Mangaraj, Ashok Kumar Jena, Bibhuti Bhusan Parida, Subash Bhoi, Skylab Pati and Bismay Mohanty. They have been charged under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to the Crime Branch, the prosecution case is supported by oral, documentary, scientific and other corroborative evidence collected during the investigation.

The agency stated that while 20 persons were arrested during the investigation, sufficient evidence was found against only 11 accused at this stage. The remaining nine arrested persons were not chargesheeted due to a lack of prima facie evidence establishing their active involvement.

The Crime Branch has kept the investigation open under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to collect further evidence, obtain pending forensic reports and identify additional suspects. The case relates to the death of GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, who allegedly died after being assaulted by a mob in the Bhingarpur-Kaja area under Balianta police limits on May 7.

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