West Bengal: Two more arrested in Durgapur gang-rape case

All five accused now in custody

Kolkata: Two more persons were arrested 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.

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 the police, following which an FIR was lodged and an investigation initiated.

Based on the student's complaint, the 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 accused also offered her Rs 5,000 to leave quietly, police sources said.

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 the woman.

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.

Searches were underway for others who may have been involved or have knowledge of the crime, police said.

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

"None of the accused will be spared," she said on Sunday.

Banerjee also questioned the security arrangements at private medical colleges.

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.

Meanwhile, an Odisha government delegation, comprising a woman member, a police officer, and a district official, visited Durgapur on Sunday to meet the survivor.

However, they were allegedly not allowed to enter the hospital. The team reportedly had to wait outside for a long time and eventually returned without meeting the survivor.

Police said the medical student is currently undergoing treatment and remains under observation.