A shocking daylight-style assault on a youth and his female friend at Giri Road in Berhampur City of Ganjam district last night has triggered widespread concern after a video of the incident went viral on social media. Police detained six persons on Tuesday for questioning in connection with the fatal attack and said strict action will be taken against all those involved in the case.

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According to police sources, the incident took place at around 9.30 PM on a busy stretch of Giri Road when a young man identified as Umesh Rath was allegedly targeted by a group of attackers. Investigators suspect the physical assault was linked to an ongoing gang rivalry and previous enmity between youths from two rival groups operating in the city.

The viral video shows two youths attacking Umesh with bamboo sticks after stopping his scooter in the middle of the busy road. During the murderous attack, a young woman (Umesh’s female friend) accompanying him was seen trying to shield and rescue him. The footage also suggests that several others were present at the scene and are believed to be associates of the attackers who directed the attack.

Police said Umesh sustained serious injuries to both legs and is currently undergoing treatment at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur. The police have registered cases against more than five people, including the key suspect, Ashish Kumar Sahu, and Mukesh Kumar Sahu. Several youths have already been brought in for interrogation.

Investigators revealed that 23-year-old Umesh has multiple criminal cases registered against him. Police headquarters stated that both the victim and the attackers were previously associated with the same gang and had recently come out of jail on bail. Officials suspect internal gang rivalry, mistrust, and revenge motives led to the violent confrontation.

Sources said the attackers allegedly believed Umesh had acted as a police informer, leading to arrests within the gang earlier. Police also linked the recent attack to a previous incident on the night of March 16 this year, when Umesh and his close associates were accused of assaulting another youth near the residence of the accused persons in the city.

Following the circulation of the assault video, police launched raids at multiple locations and formed a special team to arrest the accused. Senior police officials assured that all those involved in the attack would soon be apprehended and brought to justice.

“A case has been registered at Berhampur Town Police Station in connection with an alleged attempt to murder, and Arms Act, under various sections against a total of five people. Our police team is working hard, and the accused will be caught very soon,” Berhampur SP Vivek Saravana M said while speaking to mediapersons.

“There was past enmity between the injured person and the accused. A case was also filed beforehand regarding this. Both the accused and the injured persons were previously in jail, and currently they are out on court bail. Our investigation is currently underway. After arresting them, we will find out the full details of the reasons behind the attack,” the SP said.

“We have some clues, and we are investigating them. We expect they (the accused) will be apprehended very soon. We are questioning approximately six people and have detained them for further inquiry,” the SP added.