UW-Madison grad student arrested for firebombing of pregnancy center

Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, a former research assistant at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW-Madison), was recently arrested with charges of attempting to bomb pro-life organization Wisconsin Family Action (WFA), according to The United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

Roychowdhury allegedly threw a molotov cocktail inside the office of WFA and spray-painted “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” on the side of the building.

The arson attack on the pro-life organization took place May 8, 2022, a week after the leak of the SCOTUS draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade. Roychowdhury was arrested nearly 11 months later on Mar. 28 at the Boston Logan International Airport. 

[RELATED: Pro-life students threatened with gun violence]

According to Roychowdhurys’ Linkedin account, he graduated from UW-Madison in 2022 with a PhD in biochemistry. 

John Lucas from UW-Madison media relations told Campus Reform that Roychowdhury “is no longer affiliated with the university.”

According to the DOJ, Roychowdhury, if convicted, would face “a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.”

The DOJ quotes Madison Police Chief Shon F. Barnes as saying, “For months, our detectives remained committed to finding those responsible for this arson. When tips and leads were limited, they never gave up. Their persistence is proof that hateful acts do not have a place in Madison. I applaud their work and want to thank our federal partners for all of their help leading up to this arrest.”

DNA taken from the crime scene was matched with recovered leftover food local officials witnessed Roychowdhury dispose of. 

[RELATED: Crisis pregnancy centers near campuses vandalized]

Campus Reform reporting has covered similar attacks on pro-life centers and students.

Last December, pro-life students in Nebraska were threatened with gun violence at their Omaha Newman Center. 

In Minnesota, protestors used obscene signs and slogans to protest First Care, a center working to provide free pregnancy resources to community members and college students in last November. 

Throughout 2022, in the wake of Roe’s impending overturn, Campus Reform reported on numerous cases of vandalization of crisis pregnancy centers near campuses.

Campus Reform has reached out to the University of Wisconsin, Madison and the Department of Justice for comment. Best efforts were made to contact Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.