Durgapur rape: Victim’s college-mate 6th man to be held, police claim assault by one accused

Kolkata, Oct 14 (PTI) The West Bengal Police arrested the friend of the medical student rape victim on Tuesday evening, taking the total number of arrests in the case to six, and claimed that the sexual assault was committed by one of the suspects, while the role of others in the crime are still under probe.

Earlier in the day, investigators reconstructed the crime scene after all six accused were taken to the place of occurrence (PO) of the crime, a spot in a forest covered area near the private medical college where the victim is a student, to complete the process, police said.

The college-mate of the victim, a resident of Malda district, was arrested after he was questioned repeatedly by the police, with the investigators finding “glaring inconsistencies” in his replies, a senior officer said. The second-year student hailing from Odisha's Jaleswar was allegedly raped outside the campus of the private medical college in Durgapur on October 10 evening.

Addressing reporters, Sunil Choudhury, CP, Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, said, “The role of the victim’s friend has remained under our scanner and he is not outside the domain of suspicion. We are thoroughly questioning him.” Talking of probe updates, Choudhury said the crime scene has been dusted by forensic experts, who have collected evidence samples from the spot.

“We have already recovered the victim’s mobile, which was snatched from her, from the possession of one the accused. The police have seized apparel worn by all six accused for further investigation. We visited the PO with the accused and reconstructed the crime scene,” Choudhury said.

“According to the technical evidence available with us and the statement of the victim, the rape was committed by one person. We are probing the exact nature of involvement and the role played by others in this heinous crime,” he said.

The CP stated that the sleuths were yet to obtain forensic and medico-legal examination reports, and that many technical analyses still remain pending.

Meanwhile, two of the five arrested accused were taken to their respective residences on Tuesday morning, primarily to find evidence linked to the crime which they may have concealed, an officer said.

Among the seized articles were the clothes worn by the suspects on the night of the alleged crime.

The mobile phones seized from the accused were also sent for tests, he said, adding, the police were also questioning fellow students of the victim as part of the probe.

In a related development, Odisha BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi, who met the victim in hospital, criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks on female boarders venturing out late at night.

He claimed that such comments were made to protect the criminals.

Sarangi, who arrived in Durgapur in the afternoon, was earlier allegedly denied entry by the hospital's security personnel, leading to an argument between the two sides.

The BJP leader, along with a team of party workers from Balasore, later met the victim.

"Today, I checked with the authorities, and they told me that the victim had gone out within the permissible time. Then how could the Bengal CM claim she was out at 12:30 at night? How could she make such a statement? This is only to protect the criminals," Sarangi alleged.

"I have seen our daughter inside the hospital. She is suffering from severe mental and physical trauma,” he told reporters.

The CM had said on Sunday: “She was studying in a private medical college. Whose responsibility is it? How did she come out at 12.30 at night? Students staying in hostels, especially those who have come to West Bengal to study from outside, are expected to follow the rules of the hostels.

“They should avoid venturing out late at night, although they have the fundamental right to go wherever they want.” Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court directed the police to ensure no unauthorised entry takes place inside the private medical college and hospital at Durgapur, where the victim is undergoing treatment.

The court also ordered that adequate security arrangements be made to ensure tranquility in the area.

Protests have been held by opposition political parties near the institute following the incident.

Responding to a petition filed by an NGO seeking direction to the West Bengal government to deploy an appropriate number of police officers to safeguard the campus, a vacation bench of Justice Shampa Dutt (Paul) directed Durgapur Police Commissionerate to ensure that no one is allowed to enter the hospital and medical college premises without proper authorisation.

In connection to a separate petition, the same bench directed the police to allow a protest demonstration by the BJP at a place in front of the office of the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority.

The petitioner prayed for direction upon the state government to grant permission for holding the demonstration from 6 am till 6 pm everyday till October 19.

In Jadavpur in the southern part of the city, over 100 civil society workers associated with ‘Abhaya Manch’, formed following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar hospital, assembled in the evening in response to the 'Reclaim the Night Again' call to protest the Durgapur incident.

Eminent academic Pabitra Sarkar and many civil rights leaders joined the assembly.

The protesters, mostly women, criticised the CM’s remark advising female students not to venture out of their campuses late at night. PTI SCH AMR SUS ACD NN SMY RBT