The Odisha Police late Sunday night arrested Udit Pradhan, the state unit president of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), for allegedly raping a 19-year-old student. He will be produced in court on Monday.
According to police sources, the survivor alleged that Pradhan raped her on March 18 after giving her some intoxicated substance at a hotel. On the basis of the survivor’s statement, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered and the accused was arrested, a police officer said.
Pradhan has been booked under sections 64 (1) (rape), 123 (causing hurt by means of poison), 296 (obscene acts and songs), 74 (use of criminal force against a woman), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The arrest comes at a time when the Congress party has stepped up its attack against the BJP government in Odisha over recent issues of crime against women, including the death of a student at a leading college in Balasore. The Congress is yet to issue a statement on the latest development.
