Bhubaneswar: Odisha student Congress president Udit Pradhan was arrested by Mancheswar police in Bhubaneswar for allegedly raping a 19-year-old woman after spiking her drink at a city hotel.
As per sources, Udit was apprehended by a police team from his residence late on Sunday night. The arrest was made following a complaint filed by the woman, an engineering student.
The accused has been booked under serious provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The sections include BNS 64(1) – rape, BNS 123 – giving an intoxicating drink to commit a crime, BNS 296 – display of obscene behaviour, BNS 74 – forcibly displaying obscene behaviour towards a woman, and BNS 351(2) – threatening and forcing to commit a wrong act.
Following Pradhan’s arrest, his supporters created a ruckus outside Mancheswar Police Station, sparking tension in the area for some time.
While the alleged incident took place on March 18 this year, it came to light after the survivor moved the police.
As per the complaint, the young woman had gone out in the afternoon with two of her friends to the Master Canteen area where they were introduced to Udit Pradhan. All of them later went to a hotel in the Nayapalli area in Udit’s vehicle.
The group consumed liquor at the hotel but the girl refused to drink. Udit allegedly offered her a soft drink, which he had reportedly laced with some intoxicating substance. After consuming the drink, the girl felt dizzy and wanted to go home.
However, Udit and the others reportedly did not let her leave. She later lost consciousness. When she regained awareness, she realised that she had been sexually assaulted by Udit. When she confronted him, Udit reportedly threatened her with serious consequences if she spoke out.
After remaining silent for all these days, the survivor mustered courage and lodged a complaint with the Mancheswar police. Following the FIR, police took action against Udit. Further investigation is in progress.