Child Kidnapping Rumours Trigger Mob Attack in Odisha; Woman NGO Worker Stripped, Beaten After Giving Biscuits to Children

Police have arrested 21 people in Odisha’s Rayagada district after a violent mob assaulted two NGO workers, including a woman who was stripped and beaten, following false rumours of child kidnapping. The incident occurred on the night of June 16 in Kandulguda village, located within the Dhamunipanga panchayat under the jurisdiction of the Kalyansinghpur police station.

According to local authorities, the two NGO workers, a woman and her male colleague, were travelling via scooter toward Thuamul Rampur in Kalahandi. Unfamiliar with the local geography, the duo relied on a mobile navigation system that inadvertently led them down an incorrect route into a remote stretch of the Rayagada district. Odisha Mob Lynching Video: Youth Beaten to Death After Women Accuse Him of Molestation and Attempted Rape Following Road Accident; 4 Arrested.

The situation escalated rapidly after the travellers stopped in Kandulguda village to ask for directions. While interacting with local residents, the workers spoke to a few children and distributed biscuits. This gesture triggered immediate suspicion among some villagers, sparking a rapid rumour that the outsiders were child kidnappers.

A group of villagers intercepted the workers, confiscated their scooter keys, and demanded identification. The female worker presented her official NGO identification documents, but the crowd rejected the proof. The mob then launched a physical assault, beating both individuals, tearing the woman's clothes, and stripping her. Several onlookers reportedly used mobile phones to record video footage of the assault.

The victims were eventually shielded by a few local residents who intervened and alerted the police. Law enforcement personnel dispatched to the scene rescued the injured workers and transported them to a local healthcare facility. They were later transferred to the Rayagada District Headquarters Hospital for medical assessment and have since been discharged. Odisha Shocker: Woman Gang-Raped in Front of Children, Accused Bite Off Her Cheek; 2 Arrested.

Speaking to the media, Rayagada Superintendent of Police (SP) Raj Prasad confirmed that a criminal investigation is actively underway. "After getting information, our officers rushed to the spot, rescued the two victims, and immediately admitted them to a local hospital," SP Prasad stated, adding that 21 individuals have been placed under arrest so far. Authorities emphasized that efforts to identify and apprehend all other participants visible in the mobile recordings will continue.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2026 08:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).