Udit Pradhan, the President of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) Odisha unit, has been arrested by Mancheswar Police in Bhubaneswar on charges of raping a 19-year-old female engineering student. NSUI is the student wing of the Congress party.
Police sources indicate that Pradhan was detained late Sunday night following a formal complaint lodged by the survivor and is expected to be produced before a court on Monday. A case (419/25) was registered at Mancheswar Police Station.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the incident occurred on March 18 (one report states March 25). The victim, along with a female friend and a male classmate, met Pradhan at Master Canteen Square through her friend. They subsequently went to a hotel in the Nayapalli area in Pradhan's vehicle.
At the hotel, the group consumed alcohol, but the victim declined. Police sources state that Pradhan allegedly offered her a soft drink, which he had secretly laced with sedatives. Shortly after consuming the drink, the victim reportedly began to feel dizzy and requested to be dropped off at home, but Pradhan and others allegedly refused. She soon lost consciousness.
The victim claims that upon regaining awareness, she discovered Pradhan had sexually assaulted her. When confronted, he reportedly threatened her with serious consequences if she reported the incident.
Despite a delay in filing the complaint, authorities have initiated a full investigation due to the gravity of the allegations. A senior police official confirmed, "There has been an allegation by a girl student about giving an intoxicated substance in a drink and then of rape in a hotel against one Udit Pradhan. Based on the report submitted by the victim, FIR has been registered at the Mancheswar police station, and the accused Udit Pradhan has been arrested." Further inquiries are underway, and additional details will be released as the probe progresses.
This incident has sparked widespread concern in Odisha, particularly amid a series of recent cases involving atrocities against women in the state. It also comes just weeks after the arrest of Trinamool Congress student leader Monojit Mishra in West Bengal for the alleged rape of a female law student. For the opposition Congress, which has been vocal in criticising the state government's handling of women's safety issues, Pradhan's arrest comes as a significant shock.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Odisha NSUI Chief Arrested for Alleged Rape

Student leader accused of intoxicating, sexually assaulting engineering student in Odisha

Odisha NSUI Chief Arrested for Alleged Rape

Student leader accused of intoxicating, sexually assaulting engineering student in Odisha

July 21, 2025 | 10:10 IST