In a chilling escalation of an already harrowing case, authorities in West Bengal’s Durgapur have detained the close associate of a young medical student who fell victim to a brutal sexual assault, bringing the number of suspects in custody to six.
The incident unfolded on the evening of October 10, when the survivor—a second-year MBBS student originally from Odisha, pursuing her studies at IQ City Medical College in the city’s Shivapur neighborhood—ventured out for a casual dinner with her friend. What began as an innocuous outing quickly descended into nightmare as the pair encountered a group of assailants. The woman was forcibly dragged to a nearby wooded patch and subjected to a violent rape, according to details emerging from the investigation.
NDTV previously detailed how the student, far from her home state, had trusted her companion for the simple evening excursion, only for events to spiral into tragedy. The father’s formal complaint to police explicitly implicated the friend, accusing him of deceiving the young woman and luring her to an isolated spot under deceptive pretenses.
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Prior to this latest arrest, Asansol-Durgapur Commissioner of Police Sunil Kumar Choudhary announced on Tuesday that five individuals had been apprehended, with forensic and digital evidence confirming their presence at the crime scene. Among the recovered items was the victim’s mobile phone, which had been snatched during the attack.
Choudhary underscored a critical finding from the probe: the physical assault was perpetrated by a single perpetrator. “Based on the technical and scientific evidence gathered, along with the survivor’s account, we have determined that the sexual violation was carried out by one accused,” he stated. “The roles of the other five are under rigorous scrutiny.”
Throughout updates, the commissioner repeatedly flagged concerns over the friend’s involvement. “His presence at the scene raises serious questions—his actions are far from clear,” Choudhary noted, adding that the man had undergone multiple rounds of questioning. “We have scrutinized him extensively; his examination continues, and doubts persist.”
By evening, those suspicions solidified into action. Officers confirmed the arrest after escorting the suspect back to the wooded site for a reconstruction of events. “They had left the campus together that night for dinner,” an official clarified. “Only after repeated interrogations at the location did we proceed with custody.”
The case has ignited widespread outrage, spotlighting vulnerabilities faced by students in educational hubs. As investigations deepen, police vow to leave no stone unturned in delivering justice for the survivor, whose resilience amid trauma has become a poignant focal point in this unfolding saga.