BERHAMPUR: Two days after a couple was brutally assaulted near Giri Road in Berhampur in full public glare, Town police on Wednesday arrested two persons for their alleged involvement in the crime.
The accused are Raj Malhotra (21) of Gajapati Nagar and Lingaraj Samal (24) of Sriram Nagar. Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said Raj assisted the main accused Mukesh Sahu and his brother Asish during the assault on Umesh Rath (23) of Gosaninuagaon and his fiancee Gayatri Patra on May 18. Lingaraj reportedly helped plot the crime and later sheltered the accused persons.
Police have seized two scooters, a bamboo stick and a mobile phone from the two arrested persons. Police said the duo has past criminal history. Raj has two criminal cases registered against him in BN Pur police station. Similarly, Lingaraj is wanted in two cases registered in BN Pur and Badabazar police stations.
The arrests were made on basis of the complaint filed by Umesh’s mother Amulya Kumari Rath (47). She alleged that her son and would-be daughter-in-law were attacked by five persons near Giri Road at around 8.30 pm on May 18 over previous enmity. Umesh sustained severe injuries including fractures on both legs in the attack. Gayatri suffered minor injuries while trying to shield him from the assailants.
Basing on the complaint, police registered a case against five accused including Mukesh and Asish. Police said both the attackers and the victim have criminal backgrounds and shared a hostile past. The accused planned the attack in advance as part of an ongoing rivalry.
On the day, the arrested duo was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody. Efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining accused who are at large, said police.
Sources said Umesh is undergoing treatment in a hospital in Visakhapatnam and his condition is critical.