Youth Thrashed in Alleged BJD Kangaroo Court Over Social Media Post

Subarnapur: A young man was allegedly assaulted by a group of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supporters after being lured into an informal gathering resembling a “kangaroo court” in Kuhibahal village under Subarnapur district. The incident, which was caught on camera and widely circulated on social media, has sparked outrage and led to the filing of a police case.

The victim, identified as Nitish Kumar Saanḍh, was accused of making a provocative social media post targeting Ashok Nanda — the husband of Binika Block Chairperson and a close aide of Subarnapur MLA and former minister Niranjan Pujari. According to reports, Nitish was summoned under false pretenses to the residence of Sonali Bishi, an independent candidate from Bisipada, on Tuesday evening.

Once he arrived, Nitish was reportedly surrounded by 10–15 individuals allegedly close to Nanda and linked to the ruling BJD. The group held an informal ‘trial’ and physically assaulted him. A video of the incident obtained by OTV shows the youth being mercilessly beaten while being coerced into apologizing on camera. This apology video was also shared widely on social media platforms, intensifying public outcry.

Following the incident, Nitish lodged an FIR at the Birmaharajpur police station, naming Ashok Nanda, Binika Block Vice-Chairperson Narayan Luha, and local BJD leader Pinku Kalsai as the accused. Police confirmed that a case has been registered and an investigation is in progress.

So far, there has been no official statement from the BJD leadership regarding the matter.