Durgapur gang rape: 5 held; Suvendu alleges ‘evidence destruction’, calls arrests ‘eyewash’

Kolkata, Oct 13 (PTI) Two more persons were apprehended on Monday in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 23-year-old medical student in West Bengal's Durgapur, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five, police said.

The incident has triggered a political row in poll-bound West Bengal, with Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleging attempts to "destroy evidence" related to the crime.

Adhikari also claimed that arrests were nothing more than "eyewash".

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, Abhisekh Gupta, told PTI, "Two more arrests have been made. With these, all five accused have been taken into custody on the basis of the complaint filed by the survivor." The second-year student of a private medical college in Durgapur, hailing from Jaleswar in Odisha's Balasore district, was allegedly gang-raped on Friday night when she went outside the college campus with a male friend to have dinner.

According to police sources, the student had initially submitted a brief written statement of three to four lines to the college authorities, stating that she and her friend were walking outside the campus when they were suddenly surrounded by a group of men who then assaulted her.

The statement was later forwarded to police, following which an FIR was lodged and an investigation initiated.

Based on the student's complaint, police determined that the incident occurred between 8 pm and 8.45 pm on Friday.

Investigators said that three men initially surrounded the student and snatched away her phone when she tried to call her friends for help.

Two more persons later joined them, and together the five men allegedly raped her.

The survivor's male friend, who was accompanying her, is currently under police detention for questioning.

Investigators said his movements and conduct on the night of the incident have raised suspicion.

According to the survivor's father, who has also filed a separate complaint, the friend fled the scene when the accused surrounded her daughter.

Police sources said investigators are examining why he did not alert other students or seek help from the college after fleeing.

The three accused arrested earlier were produced before the Durgapur Sub-Divisional Court on Sunday and remanded to 10 days of police custody.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the home portfolio, has assured strict action against those involved.

Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW) chairperson Sovana Mohanty on Monday left for West Bengal to meet the medical student, her parents and also hold discussions with the local police.

Adhikari lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee administration after a BJP contingent he led was also stopped from meeting the doctors.

"I have spoken to the parents and they said that the hospital has not handed over to them the medical reports of their daughter. Even the parents have not been allowed inside the hospital, let alone us. There is a clear effort to destroy evidence related to the crime," the BJP leader said.

"These arrests are no more than eyewash. The accused will be set free on bail after 15-20 days. It will be easy for the police to do so once these people go out of sight and the crime goes out of people's mind," he said.

The LoP also alleged that one of the accused, Sheikh Nasiruddin, identified as a contractual worker with the Durgapur Municipal Corporation, is directly connected to the ruling Trinamool Congress.

"The father of the accused is a portfolio holder of the local TMC and the suspect himself is associated with the local civic body. We demand a thorough probe into the ruling party's involvement in this heinous crime. The chief minister cannot absolve herself of responsibility," Adhikari said.

Responding to the allegation, TMC's IT cell in-charge Debangshu Bhattacharya said the claim doesn't implicate the party in any way.

"Even if we accept that a relative of the accused is connected to the TMC, so what? Our party has nearly 50 per cent vote share in Bengal. Simple math would imply that one in every two citizens of this state is connected to our party in some way. There will be as many untainted citizens among our supporters as there will be bad people. What matters is that police here are not bothered about party affiliations. If someone is accused of a crime, he will be arrested, no matter what party he belongs to," Bhattacharya said.

The leader counter alleged that had this happened in a BJP-ruled state like the UP, the accused would not only not be arrested, he would even have been felicitated with garlands for his deed.

To Adhikari's question on why the chief minister has not yet visited the victim, party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said Mamata Banerjee is currently in north Bengal to oversee relief operations of flood victims.

"She doesn't need advice from the BJP on who to visit and when. The priority now is to nab the culprits and deliver swift justice and that's being done. Rape is a social malaise and happens all over the country, including in BJP-ruled states. The saffron party is only trying to fish in troubled waters," he said. PTI BSM CORR PNT ACD SMY MNB