NSUI Odisha Chief Held For Rape, Days After Congress Targets BJP Over Women's Safety In Balasore Case

Odisha Police on Sunday night arrested Udit Pradhan, the state president of the Congress Students’ wing National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), for allegedly raping a 19-year-old student, the Indian Express reported.

He is expected to be produced in court on Monday (21 July).

Police sources said the survivor has accused Pradhan of drugging and sexually assaulting her at a hotel on 18 March. Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered, leading to his arrest.

Pradhan has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including: Section 64(1) – Rape, Section 123 – Causing harm by means of poison or intoxicating substance, Section 296 – Obscene acts and songs, Section 74 – Use of criminal force against a woman and Section 351(2) – Criminal intimidation.

The arrest comes at a politically sensitive time for the Congress, which has been intensifying its criticism of the BJP-led Odisha government over crimes against women. One of the key issues raised by the party is the recent death of a student at a leading college in Balasore.

However, Congress has yet to respond publicly to the arrest of its NSUI state president.

According to a report in The Hindu, a student attempted suicide on campus on 12 July 2025, alleging that her repeated complaints of sexual harassment by a college teacher were ignored. Following the incident, the accused teacher, Samir Sahu, was arrested.

The student was initially admitted to the Balasore district hospital and later shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. However, she succumbed to her injuries on 14 July.

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