Are BJD and Congress Shielding Criminals in Odisha Student Rape Case?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Amit Malviya accuses BJD and Congress of protecting criminals.
- Udit Pradhan arrested for raping a 19-year-old student.
- Focus on the tragic suicide of a student linked to sexual harassment.
- Concerns raised about accountability in political parties.
- Investigation ongoing into the incident.
Bhubaneswar, July 21 (NationPress) Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya directed his criticism towards the opposition parties, BJD and Congress, accusing them of providing cover for criminals. This assertion follows the apprehension of Udit Pradhan, the Odisha State President of Congress’s student wing, who faces allegations of raping a 19-year-old engineering student in Bhubaneswar.
Malviya, who leads the BJP's IT cell, also held the BJD and Congress accountable for the unfortunate demise of a student from Balasore FM Autonomous College, who resorted to self-immolation due to ongoing sexual harassment.
He claimed that these opposition parties engaged in a despicable campaign of character defamation against the late college student, pushing her towards such a drastic action.
"This incident comes shortly after another appalling case — where student leaders associated with both BJD and Congress played a role in driving the victim of the Balasore sexual assault to suicide through a horrendous campaign of character assassination," Malviya alleged on X on Monday.
The senior BJP figure chastised the BJD and Congress for harboring criminals. "Until when will these parties protect the predators within their ranks? How many more young women must endure suffering before these parties are held accountable? Silence equals complicity," Malviya stated.
In a shocking turn of events, the Commissionerate Police took Udit Pradhan, the president of Odisha Chhatra Congress (National Students Union of India), into custody late Sunday night.
Following a complaint from the victim, a case (419/25) was filed at the Mancheswar Police Station in Bhubaneswar. According to the complainant, Pradhan lured her to a hotel under the guise of an outing along with her friends. Allegedly, he intoxicated the victim by mixing a substance in her drink before assaulting her in the hotel on March 18. The police have detained Pradhan, and a thorough investigation is ongoing to uncover the specifics of the case.