Koraput: Four days after a woman from Delhi and her Gujarat-based male colleague were mistaken for child kidnappers, chased by a mob and brutally assaulted in a remote village of Rayagada district, police have intensified their crackdown, with the number of arrests rising to 21 following the arrest of five more accused on Friday night.DIG (South Western Range) Akhileswar Singh said the latest arrests were made during overnight raids conducted in and around the villages linked to the incident. “With the arrest of five more persons on Friday night, the total number of accused arrested in the case has risen to 21. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend all those involved in the assault,” he said.The two fellowship students reportedly stopped near Kandulguda village under Silet panchayat to seek directions, where they interacted with children celebrating the Raja festival and distributed chocolates among them. Some villagers allegedly spread rumours that they were child-lifters, which spread rapidly across neighbouring villages through phone calls and word of mouth.Despite showing their identity cards and explaining the purpose of their visit, the mob allegedly chased the two fellowship workers, half-stripped the woman and brutally assaulted them before personnel from Kalyansinghpur police rescued them and shifted them to hospital for treatment. Both have since been discharged.Police have registered four cases in this connection and identified several suspects based on CCTV footage, video clips and other evidence collected during the investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that around 40 to 50 people may have participated in the attack.Earlier, police arrested 16 persons, including the alleged prime accused, and indicated that more arrests would follow. Investigators have since been examining videos recorded by villagers and gathering eyewitness accounts to determine the role of each individual involved.The DIG said the investigation is progressing on multiple fronts and assured that stringent action would be taken against all those responsible. “No one involved in the incident will be spared. The investigation is being carried out meticulously and further arrests are likely,” he said.
