Police rule out gang rape angle in Durgapur crime, arrest survivor’s 'friend'
Survivor's father earlier suspected the friend, who had accompanied his daughter when she had gone out of campus on the day the crime, of having some role in the gang rape
Police on Tuesday (October 14) evening arrested a male friend of the medical student of a private college, who was allegedly raped in West Bengal’s Durgapur, taking the total number of arrests in the case to six.
Police have also ruled out the gang rape angle in the crime.
'Physical assault by only one person'
“Till now, as per the technical and scientific evidence collected and the statement of the woman, we have found that physical sexual assault has been committed by one accused. The involvement of all five accused is being investigated,” NDTV quoted Asansol-Durgapur Commissioner of Police, Sunil Kumar Choudhary, as saying.
Choudhary, however, asserted that the woman’s friend’s role in the assault was “not beyond doubt.”
‘Arrested after incoherent replies’
A senior police officer told PTI that the accused had accompanied the survivor when she had gone outside the campus of the medical college to fetch food on the evening of the alleged crime.
Also read: Durgapur gang rape: Police re-enact crime with 5 accused, survivor’s friend
The Malda resident was arrested after police found his replies to be incoherent, the officer said.
CCTV footage showed him accompanying the victim out of the college campus around 7.58 pm, police said. He was then found returning to the campus alone at 8:42 pm and again coming out after some time.
The footage showed the victim and her college-mate entering the campus together around 9.29 pm, the officer said.
Survivor’s father alleged pre-planning
The woman’s father had earlier alleged that his daughter's friend "could have some vital role" in the crime.
"I am sure that her friend definitely has some kind of involvement in the crime. He accompanied my daughter out of the college. I think this could be pre-planned, or else this could not have happened," he had said.
Also read: 'Dragged, threatened with assault by more men': Durgapur gang rape victim recalls ordeal
Earlier, five people were apprehended in connection with the case.
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.
(With inputs from agencies)