A 22-year-old woman from Delhi working with a non-governmental organisation in Odisha was allegedly stripped, molested and assaulted by a mob in Rayagada district after rumours branding her and a male colleague as child kidnappers spread through the area. The incident took place on June 16 but came to public attention only after police arrested at least 20 people, including several juveniles, in connection with the attack on Saturday.
The woman and her colleague, a 22-year-old man from Surat, had been working in tribal areas of Odisha since September last year as part of a fellowship programme associated with a prominent NGO.
According to Rayagada Superintendent of Police Raj Prasad, the pair were travelling on a scooter through the district when misinformation about alleged child kidnappers circulating in nearby villages escalated into violence. "As the two travelled through the region, there was a rumour about the presence of child kidnappers in the locality. Suspecting them, some locals chased them on motorcycles. When their vehicle slipped and overturned near a field at around 8.30 pm, the mob assaulted the two professionals, stripped the woman, and molested her," the SP said.
The woman later recounted the sequence of events to local media, saying that she and her colleague had been relying on Google Maps because they were unfamiliar with the area. "While we were travelling, someone claiming to be local told us not to go ahead because the road was in poor condition. As we were trying to turn back, he tried to pull the keys from our scooter and asked to show our identity cards. I presented my ID, but he refused to believe us. We were scared as a crowd gathered suddenly," she said.
According to her account, the two attempted to leave the area after sensing danger. However, several villagers on motorcycles allegedly pursued them. She said their scooter eventually skidded near a field, allowing the crowd to catch up with them. "They assaulted me, pulled my hair, tore my clothes and inappropriately touched me. I am scared and want to go back to my place. We were here to do social work," she said.
Police officials said officers rushed to the spot after receiving information about the attack. However, despite efforts by law enforcement and some local residents to rescue the pair, the crowd allegedly continued the assault.
One of those who intervened was 26-year-old local driver Balaram Bagh, who helped police evacuate the victims from the scene. "As I was on my way to a dhaba for dinner with my friend, I noticed a mob assaulting them. I tried my best to pull them away from the crowd and escort them to the police vehicle. I took off my T-shirt and gave it to the woman as the mob had torn her dress," Mr Bagh told The Indian Express. He said the mob remained aggressive even after the victims were removed from the area. "The crowd chased the police vehicle up to the community health centre and even tried to vandalise the premises," he said.
The rescued pair were first taken to a local police station and later shifted to a nearby community health centre for medical treatment. Police have since registered three separate cases in connection with the incident. Superintendent Prasad confirmed that 20 people have been arrested so far and indicated that further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses. Officials said both victims were left deeply traumatised by the attack. After receiving medical care and counselling, they were handed over to their families. The executive director of the NGO employing the two said they were currently not in a condition to speak publicly about the incident.
