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‘No gangrape, friend arrested’: Major twist in Durgapur case in Bengal | Key points
West Bengal police say no gangrape occurred in Durgapur, arresting the survivor’s classmate. Here are the key points of the case.
A 23-year-old classmate of the medical student who had alleged gangrape near her Durgapur college campus on October 10 was arrested on Tuesday evening. West Bengal police stated that no gangrape had taken place, challenging the earlier claims.
Here are eight key details as of October 14 night in the case that's made national headlines:
Arrest of survivor’s classmate
Security footage shows the survivor and her friend — whose name has not been revealed possibly to protect the woman's identity — leaving campus at 7:54 pm. He returned alone at 8:42 pm, left again at 8:48 pm, and came back with her at 9:29 pm.
Both said they went out for dinner, while the survivor later claimed the suspects called her friend after the alleged gangrape. Police thus arrested the friend, finding contradictions in the versions later.
The friend, a resident of Malda, had already been detained on October 11, a day after the alleged incident, as part of the ongoing investigation, and eventually arrested.
Police on ‘sole’ involvement
Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissioner Sunil Kumar Choudhary said the classmate “is not above suspicion” and that only one person appears to have been involved in the incident. The roles of others previously arrested remain under review.
Earlier arrests and charges
Before the classmate’s arrest, five local villagers were taken into custody. However, police clarified that investigation and medical reports now point to a single suspect as primarily involved in the case. They have been charged under sections 70(1) (gang rape) and 3(5) (crime committed with common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to the remand petition, a copy of which cited in an earlier HT report.
Contradictions in statements
Authorities highlighted inconsistencies in the accounts provided by the survivor, her friend, the arrested suspects, and in medical records. These contradictions have complicated the investigation and raised questions
Initially, the survivor told a doctor that three people were present and only one had committed the crime. She later told police that five men had dragged her into a forest and gangraped her, creating significant discrepancies between statements.
Evidence from security footage
College surveillance footage contradicted some of the statements too. The video shows the survivor returning to campus “calmly”, with her clothes intact, and without seeking help from security personnel, police said.
“When a woman is dragged through a jungle and gangraped, there is always evidence. But the footage shows otherwise,” a senior officer said.
Who were the suspects so far
West Bengal police have named five suspects: Sheikh Safiqul, Sheikh Nasiruddin, Apu Bauri (21), Firdous Sheikh (23), and Sheikh Riazuddin (32). These individuals are residents of nearby villages and were initially part of the wider investigation. Sheikh Safiqul was arrested on October 13, while Sheikh Nasiruddin was taken into custody late Sunday. The remaining three — Apu Bauri, Firdous Sheikh, and Sheikh Riazuddin —were sent to police custody by the court on Sunday.
