BHUBANESWAR/PURI : Puri police on Sunday arrested three persons and detained two minor boys for allegedly assaulting and forcing a 35-year-old man to publicly walk naked on the suspicion that he misbehaved with a mentally-challenged woman.
The accused are Sitaram Mishra (27), Santosh Barik (26), Sukanta Bhoi (36) and the three minors. The incident occurred at Jalakabara under Chandanpur police limits on Saturday.
The incident came to light after a video in this connection went viral on the day. As per police, the victim Mrutunjaya Pradhan was going from Atharnala to Satyabadi on his bicycle. He was reportedly drunk when he accidentally fell off the bicycle near the woman.
Suspecting that Pradhan misbehaved with the woman, a group of locals attacked him, stripped off his clothes, tied his hands and paraded him naked along a public road.
On receiving information about the mob attack, police rushed to the spot, rescued Pradhan and shifted him to Chandanpur medical centre. The victim’s father, Gobinda Chandra Pradhan (70) lodged a complaint with Chandanpur police following which a case was registered and a probe launched into the matter.
Police also seized a bamboo stick and brick pieces from the spot. Further probe is underway and more persons will be arrested if their involvement is established, said police.