The West Bengal Police have arrested a classmate of the 23-year-old second-year medical student who was gang-raped near her college campus in Durgapur. The accused, who had accompanied her for dinner on the night of the incident, was taken into custody after the survivor’s testimony implicated him in attempting to assault her.
Police officials confirmed that this marks the sixth arrest in the case, which has sent shockwaves through the state and drawn sharp criticism over lapses in student safety and institutional accountability.
Survivor’s testimony leads to arrest
According to police quoted in media, the survivor mentioned in her deposition before a magistrate that her classmate had also “tried to force himself” on her. This revelation formed one of the grounds for his arrest.
The victim, a medical student hailing from Jaleswar in Odisha, recounted the horrifying ordeal in her statement to doctors and the magistrate. She said that after dinner, she and her classmate were walking back toward the college when they were followed by three men in a vehicle.
“We noticed they were leaving their vehicle and coming towards us. We started running towards the forest. Then those three people came running after us, caught me, and dragged me into the forest,” she said in her statement.
She further revealed that the assailants took away her mobile phone and forced her to call her friend.
“When he didn’t come, they forced me to lie down. When I screamed, they said if I make noise, they will call more men and they would do it too,” she recounted.
The medical college’s internal statement provided a detailed timeline of the two students’ movements that evening. It said the duo left the campus around 7:58 pm on Friday for dinner. The male student returned briefly at 8:42 pm, loitered near the exit for five minutes, and stepped out again at 8:48 pm. Both returned together at 9:29 pm, after which the female student proceeded toward the girls’ hostel at 9:31 pm.
These timestamps have become crucial in the ongoing investigation as police examine inconsistencies between CCTV footage, phone call records, and witness statements.
Crime scene recreated in presence of accused
To reconstruct the sequence of events, the West Bengal Police brought all six accused, including the survivor’s classmate, to a jungle near the Paranaganj Kali Bari cremation ground, where the assault occurred. The reconstruction was conducted under videographic surveillance to ensure accuracy.
“The accused and the survivor’s friend were brought to the spot for the reconstruction of the crime. The process was videographed and will be tallied with their statements as well as the survivor’s testimony,” said an investigating officer.
Police are also verifying the background of each accused for prior criminal history. Their mobile phones have been sent for forensic examination, and statements from several classmates and college staff are being recorded.
Among the six arrested, one is a former security guard at the medical college, another works in a private hospital, one is employed with the local civic body, and another is unemployed. All the accused have been sent for medical examination and will be produced in court after interrogation.
Anger and fear grip Durgapur
The incident has triggered widespread outrage among students and the local community, who are demanding tighter security and accountability from both the college administration and law enforcement authorities.
Women’s rights groups have criticised the state government for failing to ensure safety even within educational institutions.
Local political leaders have also weighed in, demanding an impartial investigation and speedy justice. “This case exposes a serious lapse in the protection of women students. Authorities must ensure this doesn’t get buried under procedural delays,” said a women’s rights activist in Durgapur.
As the investigation unfolds, the arrest of the survivor’s classmate has added a new and disturbing dimension to the case and underscores the grim reality of violence even in spaces meant for learning and safety.
