Bhubaneswar: The number of arrests in the Balianta mob lynching case has risen to 11, with the Commissionerate Police apprehending six more individuals on Saturday.

Earlier, five persons had been arrested in connection with the incident in which 32-year-old GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain was killed on May 7 near Ramachandrapur in the Balianta area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

According to police, the alleged mob attack followed an incident in which Swain and his associate, Om Prakash Rout, were accused of assaulting two women. The survivors alleged they were first harassed by the two motorcycle-borne men, who passed objectionable remarks as the women were travelling on a scooter. The accused then allegedly rammed their vehicle, causing them to fall.

One of the women further alleged after the fall, she was physically assaulted, hit on the head, strangled, and her clothes were torn. She also claimed the accused repeatedly attempted to drag her. Locals reportedly rushed to the spot following the incident and intervened.

Police said soon after, a mob gathered and attacked Swain and Rout. Videos of the assault, which later circulated on social media, showed Swain tied to an iron bar and being beaten by a group of people.

Swain was initially taken to Balakati Community Health Centre and later shifted to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, where doctors declared him dead. Rout was rescued by police personnel and is currently in custody.

Based on the complaint filed by the two women, police have registered a case of attempt to rape under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A separate case of murder has also been registered in connection with the mob lynching.