Bhubaneswar, 21 July (H.S.) Odisha Student Congress President Udit Pradhan was arrested by Mancheswar police on Sunday night following serious allegations of sexual assault. A young woman has accused Pradhan of raping her at a hotel on March 18, after allegedly giving her an intoxicating drink.

According to the complaint, the survivor lost consciousness and, upon regaining awareness, was threatened by Pradhan to remain silent about the incident. Acting on her complaint, the police recorded her statement and took Pradhan into custody. A case has been registered against him under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including BNS 64(1) for rape, BNS 123 for administering an intoxicant to commit a crime, BNS 296 for obscene behavior in public, BNS 74 for forcibly displaying obscene behavior towards a woman, and BNS 351(2) for criminal intimidation and coercion. The investigation is currently underway.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda