BHUBANESWAR: Police have arrested a 67-year-old man for allegedly attempting to rape an MBA student of a private college here while she was alone at her rented house in Gangapada area within Info Valley police limits.
The accused, Deepak Pradhan, is a resident of the same locality and owner of a grocery shop there. Police said he knew the woman as she visited his shop on a regular basis to purchase different items. The victim, in her mid-20s, is a native of neighbouring Chhattisgarh, sources said.
Investigation revealed Pradhan trespassed into the woman’s room after 8.30 pm on Friday when she was alone, and attempted to rape her. However, the woman screamed for help following which locals rushed to her rescue. They caught hold of Pradhan and handed him over to the police. “The woman lodged a complaint against Pradhan and a case was registered. He was arrested on Saturday,” said Info Valley IIC, Gayananda Saha.
The incident comes at a time when violence against women has witnessed a sharp rise in the capital city in the last few years. Crimes including rape, attempted rape, molestation, sexual harassment, abduction, eve-teasing, stalking, public disrobing and dowry-related offences registered an alarming rise in Bhubaneswar last year as compared to 2024.
Police statistics revealed that 485 cases of crimes against women were registered in the city in 2024, which surged to 1,159 cases in 2025.