Balangir: Four days after the reported assault on a journalist in Balangir district’s Kulthipali village, police on Monday arrested three men and detained a minor for their alleged role in the incident. The prime accused, however, is on the run.Those arrested have been identified as Abinash Dalei (25), Aditya Kumar Jena (31) and Gumar Naik (40). The main accused, Gajendra Dalei, is absconding. The victim, Bijaya Kumar Padhan (46), is a district correspondent of a vernacular news channel.The arrests follow widespread outrage. According to the police, Bijaya visited Kulthipali village on Friday with his nephew to cover a report on alleged corruption in the construction of a retaining wall along the village road.Gajendra, who was executing the project, reportedly objected to Bijaya filming the ongoing work and allegedly instigated Abinash and Aditya to attack him. The assailants tied the journalist’s hands and legs, beat him up and later paraded him through the village before taking him to a temple. There, they allegedly threatened him not to publish the report or speak about the incident. Bijaya lodged a complaint at the Puintala police station the same day. Superintendent of police Abhilash G said the four individuals, including a minor, who were directly involved in the assault, have been apprehended. He added that the contractor, Gajendra, who instigated the attack, is absconding, but efforts are on to arrest him.“Our police team conducted a thorough investigation and arrested four people. In addition, villagers present at the scene have been recorded as eyewitnesses in the case. We have applied appropriate legal sections and produced the accused in court,” said Abhilash.He further said that video footage capturing the assault was retrieved from the mobile phone of one of the accused. The video is expected to serve as a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation.The incident had sparked outrage within and outside the state, with many questioning the police for their initial inaction.