2 teens assaulted, burnt with cigarette butts, forced to drink urine

Bhubaneswar: Two 16-year-old boys were subjected to horrific torture when assailants tied them to electric poles, burnt them with cigarettes and forced them to drink urine early on Sunday in Puri district's Balanga area.

The assault stemmed from a confrontation between residents of Kotakasanga and Pradhan Sahi villages on Saturday evening during a village fair, where they clashed over some issue.

The two teenagers were intercepted while passing through Kotakasanga late at night. The villagers, assuming they were from Pradhan Sahi, accosted them despite the boys clarifying they were from Birat Sahi village. Unfazed by their clarification, the attackers tied the boys to electric poles and assaulted them.

One victim recounted his ordeal. "I and my friend were thrashed by the villagers and humiliated in public view. Two men branded us with burning cigarette butts. They even forced us to drink urine," he said.

The second victim said, "Over 50 people were present, but nobody came to our rescue. They were capturing our photos and videos on their mobile phones. We were pleading for mercy. After torturing us about 30 minutes, they released us."

Officer in-charge of Balanga police station, Dibyaranjan Panda, said, "We have received a written complaint and detained two suspects. We are trying to identify other suspects by examining the viral video. Strict action will be taken against those responsible."

Birat Sahi villagers demanded swift action against the perpetrators. "We condemn the brutality inflicted on the two boys of our village. We will gherao the police station unless arrests are made at the earliest," said Jyoti Prakash Parida, a Birat Sahi resident.