2 Women Assaulted Over Religious Conversion of Tribals in Balasore; 3 Arrested

Balasore: Three people were arrested in Odisha's Balasore district for assaulting two women who were accused of attempting to convert tribal families to another religion, police said on Monday. The arrests followed an investigation into the incident, which sparked widespread outrage.

Two cases have been filed at the Remuna police station in connection with the assault, and three individuals were taken into custody on Sunday. The police action came after a video surfaced showing the two women being tied to a tree and brutally beaten in full public view. The women were accused of trying to forcefully convert some tribal families in Gobardhanpur village on Thursday.

The police rescued the two women following the assault, according to Subash Chandra Mallick, the officer-in-charge of Remuna police station. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident, which has drawn significant attention to the matter.

"So far, three people have been arrested. We are taking stringent action and ensuring that there is no law and order situation in the area," Balasore SP Raj Prasad told reporters.

He said that a case and another countercase have been filed at Remuna Police Station.

The accused in the tying of the women to the tree case were booked under relevant sections of the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and BNS while another case was registered against the two women under Section 4 of the Odisha Freedom of Religion Act, 1967, and sections 299 (deliberate and malicious insult of a religion), 3(5) (joint criminal liability), and 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) of BNS, police said.

The SP said the police have issued notices to seven people in separate cases and a senior officer is investigating the matter.

DIG, Eastern Range, Balasore in a post on X said: "Remuna PS Case No 223/24 has been registered in connection with the atrocity committed against two women. Three accused individuals have been arrested and forwarded to court. Further investigation is underway, and stringent measures will be taken against the culprits."

(with agency inputs)