Couple attacked on motorcycle en route to Odisha’s Kapilash shrine, video sparks safety concerns
A man and a woman traveling by motorcycle to the Kapilash shrine were intercepted and assaulted by a group of men; a video of the attack went viral, leading police to register a case.
On September 18, a 26-year-old man from Cuttack district and a woman in her twenties were riding a motorcycle toward the Kapilash shrine when several men stopped them on the Kapilash-Tangi road, roughly 13 km from the temple, within the jurisdiction of Gandia police station. A video that later spread online shows the man being verbally abused and physically struck, while the woman on the pillion begs the attackers not to harm him or record her.
Some elderly locals stepped in and asked the assailants to cease, yet the aggression persisted as additional onlookers filmed the scene. Dhenkanal Superintendent of Police Abhinav Sonkar said the police have registered a case and are reviewing the video and other evidence to identify those involved, with a team dispatched to the location and nearby villages for interrogation. Local resident Sudhakar Das called for stronger policing along the approach roads, noting the lack of regular police presence despite the shrine’s heavy visitor traffic. The incident surfaced online after a comparable assault in Bihar’s Jamui district, intensifying public concerns over the safety of pilgrims and tourists in the region.
Why it matters
It underscores inadequate security for visitors on popular pilgrimage routes in Odisha.
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