The man who stood against a mob: How Balaram Bag saved two NGO workers in Odisha

When panic and rumour turned into violence in the Rayagada district of Odisha, it was not the police or the administration that first stood between a mob and two terrified young NGO workers. It was a 35-year-old driver named Balaram Bag.

Driver steps into chaos

Last Tuesday night (June 16), Bag was returning home through Rayagada district's Kalyansinghpur area when he came across a chaotic scene. An angry mob that had swelled to more than 100 people had surrounded a young woman from Delhi and her male colleague from Gujarat, both NGO fellows in their early twenties.

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The duo had reportedly lost their way while travelling from Kandhamal's Daringbadi to Thuamul Rampur in Kalahandi district and were mistaken for child-lifters after locals saw them distributing chocolates to children.

What followed was a brutal assault driven by rumour. The mob attacked the two, allegedly ripped the woman’s clothes, and confronted police officers who were struggling to regain control.

A rescue at great risk

Bag stepped into the middle of it. “I promptly intervened and stopped the mob. I removed my shirt and gave it to the woman. With great difficulty, I guided her to the police van. The angry people kicked and assaulted me during the rescue,” he recalled as quoted in media reports.

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He later described how a handful of residents joined efforts to protect the victims. “The two were whisked away in a police van, and I provided my T-shirt to the girl,” he added.

The Odisha Police lauded Bag's actions as an example of civic courage, stating that his intervention will feature in future awareness campaigns aimed at encouraging responsible public action during crises and discouraging mob vigilantism.

Police hail civic courage

Police designated it a “Red Flag case”, with the investigation being monitored by the Crime Against Women and Children Wing. IGP Shyni S, who heads the wing, said a large group of people, many allegedly intoxicated, targeted the woman based on baseless allegations. She also praised Bag for helping save her from the crowd.

Meanwhile, both the National Commission for Women and the Odisha State Commission for Women have stepped in. SCW chairperson Sovana Mohanty said, “I spoke to the victim through video conferencing and assured her that justice will be provided and all the culprits arrested.”

Police said 21 people have been apprehended so far, with more arrests expected as investigators analyse video footage and other evidence connected to the attack.

(With agency inputs)