Diesel theft: Three held for attacking youths 

PARADIP:  Three persons were arrested for allegedly beating up some Dalit and tribal youths of Bauria Palanda village of Jagatsinghpur on Sunday suspecting them of stealing diesel from tankers. The arrests were made basing on a complaint filed by the father of one of the victims. Besides, a video capturing the incident went viral on social media.

According to sources, after rise in theft of diesel from oil tankers of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) terminal,  the tanker owners and drivers suspected it to be a handiwork of local Dalit and tribal youths. 

On Sunday, an enraged group of 10 to 15 tanker owners and drivers, in an attempt to teach the youths a lesson, entered the slum and forcibly took one Dalit youth Tanoj Mallick and three other tribal youths Biri Singh Tigi, Tunu and Bala Muchi to the drivers’ resthouse on the BPCL premises where they allegedly beat the four brutally. All the four sustained grievous injuries. The perpetrators reportedly shot the video of the thrashing and made it viral to instill a sense of fear among other youths in the area.

Later, the injured were rushed to the Biju Memorial Hospital in Atharbanki for treatment from where they were shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital (MCH) after their condition deteriorated. A case was registered after receiving complaints from Tanoj’s father Ghansyam Mallick. Bauria Palanda village president Askaya Mallick strongly condemned the act and urged immediate arrest of all the accused.

“We have arrested three accused, Sridhar Pradhan, Susant Pradhan and Binod Kumar Pradhan and produced them in court. We are hopeful of nabbing the others involved, soon,” said inspector in-charge of Paradip Model police station Subhalaxmi Pujari.