Overview
- Tofan Nayak, 32, was tied to an electric pole and beaten by villagers on Sunday and died in hospital on Monday after police rescued him, his family and multiple reports said.
- Nayak’s family alleges he was beaten again after he was brought to Banapur police station, but Khordha police deny custodial torture and say a Zimmanama handing-over and CCTV show he was released to relatives in good health.
- Banapur police have registered a murder case, arrested two villagers in connection with Nayak’s death, and said they will act on the post-mortem findings as the probe continues.
- In Bhubaneswar, two masked attackers struck a home in Kolathia in the early hours of Monday, killing 20-year-old student Krushna Chandra Padhi and fatally wounding his father Himanshu; the Commissionerate detained two juveniles within 24 hours and seized iron rods and bottles of chilli powder as evidence.
- Both cases are drawing public calls for independent inquiries and heightened scrutiny of mob justice and police procedures in Odisha as forensic work, CCTV checks and legal decisions on juvenile suspects move forward.