Durgapur gang rape case: Police plan Test Identification parade for victim to identify accused

Kolkata: The police are planning to conduct a Test Identification (TI) parade so that the Durgapur gang rape victim can identify and confirm whether the arrested individuals were indeed the perpetrators of the crime that took place on the night of October 10, an official said on Wednesday.

The police will move the court seeking permission to carry out the TI parade as part of their investigation into the incident that took place in a jungle near the private medical college where she is studying medicine.

"TI Parade is on the cards as part of our probe. We will seek permission from the court in this regard," the officer told PTI.

Six people, including a male friend of the victim with whom the 2nd year MBBS student had gone out of the campus that night for dinner, were arrested so far in connection with the crime.

Leader of the opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, and Odisha BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi have demanded the TI parade to identify the "real culprits".

The police are also planning to conduct a medico-legal examination of the survivor's friend on October 16 or the following day, the officer said.

Investigators are also considering a gait pattern analysis linked to the crime.

The gait pattern refers to the analysis of a person's unique walking or running style, as captured through footprints or video surveillance. It can help identify a suspect by matching their movements with evidence from the crime scene, such as CCTV footage or footprint impressions.

Meanwhile, the police continued questioning the victim's arrested classmate and the other five accused on Wednesday.

The friend was questioned about why he had left the survivor alone and failed to alert anyone after returning to the campus from the crime scene.

"His replies are still incoherent. We are tallying them with the survivor's statement," the officer said.