In a horrifying incident in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur, an 18-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by two men while returning home from a birthday party on Monday evening. The victim was accompanied by her friend and mother when the assailants struck. While her friend escaped, the girl was forcibly taken to a nearby farmland and sexually assaulted. She returned home severely injured and bleeding, prompting immediate hospitalization. Police official Bhawani Shankar Udgata confirmed her condition is stable and she is receiving treatment.

One of the accused, both of whom are from a nearby village, has been arrested, with authorities actively searching for the second suspect. The police are also questioning the victim’s friend and mother to gather more details.

This chilling case adds to a string of recent sexual violence incidents in Odisha. In Balasore, a 20-year-old college student died after setting herself on fire on July 12, following alleged sexual harassment by a teacher that was dismissed by her college’s internal enquiry. Earlier this month in Jajpur, a young woman training at a hockey stadium was allegedly gang-raped by her coach, Sarthak, and two associates, Sandip and Sagar, after being abducted and taken to a lodge on July 3.

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In another disturbing case, Udit Pradhan, the Odisha president of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), was arrested Monday for allegedly drugging and raping a 19-year-old engineering student in a Bhubaneswar hotel room in March. The NSUI suspended Pradhan, citing its "zero-tolerance policy towards gender-based injustice."

These incidents have sparked widespread outrage, raising urgent concerns about women’s safety in the region.

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