In a major breakthrough, police arrested two accused linked to the tragic hit-and-run incident on August 9 in Patrapada, which claimed the lives of an eight-year-old girl and her mother.
The accused, Rohan Ranjan Rout (25) of Patia and his aide Sohamraj Tripathy (27) from Tirtol, Jagatsinghpur, had been on the run for weeks. After the incident, they traveled across multiple states, including West Bengal, Haryana, and Delhi, to avoid arrest. Authorities finally apprehended them in Delhi on Saturday.
The case sparked significant public outrage in Patrapada after the fatal crash. According to the police, on the evening of August 9, the victim’s wife was crossing NH-16 with their children — an eight-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy — when a speeding SUV struck them from the Bhubaneswar side and fled the scene.
The girl died instantly, and her mother succumbed to injuries two days later. The family filed a complaint with Khandagiri police, and the investigation led to the arrest of the two accused, who have now been produced in court.
Police continue to investigate the case as the community calls for justice and stricter road safety enforcement.
