Bhubaneswar man on bail rams car into crowd on Puri Bypass Road, arrested
Synopsis
A 20-year-old Bhubaneswar man allegedly used a Tata Nexon to run over a roadside victim, fled, then returned and rammed a crowd of Good Samaritans — all while on bail for a near-identical incident that killed someone three months earlier. Four separate cases have now been registered, each with stringent charges.
Key Takeaways
Soumya Ranjan Rath , 20 , was arrested in Bhubaneswar on 12 October 2026 for allegedly ramming his Tata Nexon into pedestrians on Puri Bypass Road .
The accused allegedly first struck a roadside bystander, fled, then returned to ram Ratikanta Singh , his wife Annapurna Singh , and other good Samaritans who had stopped to help.
He also allegedly drove into the owner and staff of Darling Dhaba before the bypass road attack; four cases with stringent charges have been registered.
A medical examination confirmed a positive result for alcohol consumption at the time of the incident.
Rath was already on bail for a three-month-old vehicle-ramming incident near Shastri Nagar Square that resulted in one death ; Monday's offences allegedly violated bail conditions.
Commissionerate Police in Bhubaneswar arrested a 20-year-old habitual offender on Monday, 12 October after he allegedly used a Tata Nexon car to deliberately run over pedestrians on Puri Bypass Road near SR Valley Square, reportedly with the intent to kill them. The accused, identified as Soumya Ranjan Rath, a resident of Jayadev Vihar under Nayapalli police limits, was caught by bystanders at the scene and subsequently forwarded to court.
How the incident unfolded
According to police, the episode began around 7.30 am on Monday when the accused allegedly struck a person standing by the roadside near SR Valley Square and fled toward Keshura Square. Complainant Ratikanta Singh and his wife Annapurna Singh, who were travelling on their Bajaj Discover motorcycle, stopped alongside other passers-by to arrange medical help for the injured man.
The car then reportedly returned at high speed from the Keshura side, travelling in the wrong direction, and rammed into Ratikanta, his wife, and the other bystanders who had gathered to assist. The driver attempted to turn the vehicle around, but the car stalled, allowing people at the spot to physically detain Rath until police arrived.
Prior attack on a roadside eatery
Investigators found that before the Puri Bypass Road incidents, Rath had allegedly driven the same vehicle into the owner and staff members of Darling Dhaba, an eatery in the vicinity, in an apparent attempt to cause serious harm. A total of four cases have been registered in connection with that episode alone, all carrying stringent charges given that the vehicle was allegedly used as a weapon.
Drunk driving angle and police findings
A senior police official stated that Rath was 'prima facie in a drunken state' at the time, and that a medical examination returned a positive result for alcohol consumption. The stringent charges across all four cases reflect the alleged deliberate, weaponised use of the vehicle rather than a traffic accident.
Bail violation and prior death case
Police confirmed that approximately three months before this incident, Rath had allegedly been involved in a similar vehicle-ramming episode near Shastri Nagar Square under Kharvelnagar police station limits, which resulted in the death of one person. He was arrested in that case, sent to jail, and subsequently granted bail by a court. Authorities say he allegedly committed Monday's offences while on bail, in direct violation of its conditions. Rath has been forwarded to court; his bail status in the earlier case is now expected to come under judicial review.
Point of View
Yet was back behind the wheel — and reportedly drunk — targeting multiple people. The pattern raises pointed questions about whether courts and police have adequate mechanisms to track and enforce bail compliance in cases involving lethal intent. Vehicle-as-weapon attacks are not routine road accidents, and charging frameworks need to reflect that distinction more consistently.
NationPress
12 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Soumya Ranjan Rath and why was he arrested?
Soumya Ranjan Rath is a 20-year-old resident of Jayadev Vihar, Bhubaneswar, arrested on 12 October 2026 for allegedly deliberately ramming his Tata Nexon into multiple people on Puri Bypass Road near SR Valley Square. Police say he acted with intent to kill, was in a drunken state, and was already on bail for a prior fatal vehicle-ramming case.
What happened on Puri Bypass Road in Bhubaneswar on 12 October?
Around 7.30 am on 12 October, the accused allegedly struck a roadside bystander with his car and fled. When Ratikanta Singh, his wife, and other passers-by stopped to help the injured person, the accused returned driving in the wrong direction and rammed into the gathered crowd. He was detained by bystanders when his car stalled.
Was the accused drunk at the time of the Bhubaneswar car ramming?
According to a senior police official, the accused was prima facie in a drunken state, and a medical examination returned a positive result for alcohol consumption. This finding has been incorporated into the charges filed against him.
How many cases have been registered against the accused?
A total of four cases have been registered in connection with the attack near Darling Dhaba alone, all carrying stringent charges because the vehicle was allegedly used with intent to kill. Additional charges relate to the Puri Bypass Road incidents.
What is the accused's prior criminal record?
About three months before this incident, Rath was allegedly involved in a similar vehicle-ramming near Shastri Nagar Square under Kharvelnagar police station limits that resulted in the death of one person. He was arrested, jailed, and later granted bail — which he allegedly violated by committing Monday's offences.
