Durgapur gang rape: 2 more arrested; cops say ‘all 5 accused’ held
According to reports, the fifth accused has been identified as Sheikh Safiqul; the fourth accused to be nabbed on Sunday night was Sheikh Nasiruddin
The West Bengal Police have arrested two more suspects in connection with the alleged gang rape of a medical student in Durgapur, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five.
The arrested accused
According to reports, the fifth accused has been identified as Sheikh Safiqul, a local resident who had been hiding at a relative’s house in Durgapur.
The fourth accused to be nabbed on Sunday (October 12) night was Sheikh Nasiruddin, a resident of Birja. Nasiruddin was initially detained for questioning and arrested later. His bike was allegedly used by the accused to flee the crime scene.
Both Safiqul and Nasiruddin will be reportedly produced in the Durgapur Sub-Divisional Court on Monday. Police are expected to seek their custody.
Earlier on Sunday, three other accused — Sheikh Riyazuddin, Apu Bauri, and Firdaus Sheikh — were arrested and remanded in 10-day police custody. Firdaus is reportedly a Group-D staffer at a local private hospital.
Also read: Durgapur gangrape: CM’s remark sparks Oppn ire; victim’s father cites life threat
‘All five accused in custody’
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abhisekh Gupta of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate told news agency PTI, “Two more arrests have been made. With these, all five accused have been taken into custody based on the complaint filed by the woman.”
The 23-year-old woman, from Jaleswar in Odisha’s Balasore district, was allegedly gang-raped on Friday night when she left the private medical college campus with a friend to have dinner. The friend was also detained for questioning.
Political mudslinging
The incident has sparked off a political mudslinging, with Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, claiming that at least one of the arrested accused was a Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker.
Reacting to the claim, TMC spokesperson Debanshu Bhattacharya said, “Even if he is a party worker, it must be appreciated that the TMC has zero tolerance for crimes. Had this incident occurred in a BJP-ruled state, the accused would have been garlanded instead.”
The incident has also triggered sharp reactions from neighbouring Odisha, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi urging his West Bengal counterpart to ensure the strictest punishment for the culprits.
Also read: Mamata on Durgapur gangrape: 'Girls shouldn’t venture out at night'
CM’s controversial comment
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also landed in a soup for a controversial comment, saying the private medical college should not have let the students leave the campus at “12.30 am”, especially since the area is forested. However, reports so far indicate that the incident took place around 8–8.30 pm.
Mamata has described the incident as “shocking” and said her government has “zero tolerance” for such crimes. She has also hit back at BJP-ruled states for criticising her government, saying, “Three girls were raped on a seabeach in Odisha three weeks ago. What action was taken by the Odisha government?”
Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW) chairperson Sovana Mohanty is expected to reach West Bengal on Monday and she will speak to the survivor and check her health condition, and meet her parents and hold discussions with the local police.
(With agency inputs)