In a chilling act of vigilante justice, 8 women and 2 men from Odisha’s Gajapati district were arrested for killing a 60-year-old man identified as Kambi Malik.
He assaulted several women in the community, particularly widows and elderly women (socio-economically weak). Fear, stigma, and social pressure prevented victims from speaking out or reporting the issue to the police.
The incident occurred in the night, after the man reportedly raped a 52-year-old widow. Survivors of his earlier assaults gathered, confronted him in his home at night, and hacked him to death. They later burned his body near a forest hillock to hide the crime.
Police launched an investigation after a missing persons complaint was filed by his family. The remains were recovered, and 10 people, including a local ward member, were arrested. Officials confirmed that at least six women admitted to being victims of the deceased man.
