A fatal act of vigilante violence unfolded yesterday in Sartha village under Singhla police station, Balasore district. Acting on theft suspicions, Ajay Das and his two sons allegedly tied four youths—Trilochan Pradhan, Satish Singh, Bhanu Pradhan, and Tapu Mohanty—to an electric pole and mercilessly beat them with iron rods and wooden sticks.
The brutality resulted in the tragic death of Trilochan Pradhan at the scene, while the other three victims suffered critical injuries and are now receiving medical treatment. The incident arose from a theft at Ajay Das’s clothing shop, where the lock had been broken a few days earlier. Frustrated by the lack of progress from the police investigation, Das and his sons allegedly took matters into their own hands.
The police intervened promptly, detaining Ajay Das and his two sons. Meanwhile, tension gripped the village as relatives of the deceased demanded justice, compensation, and strict punishment for the perpetrators.