Durgapur Rape Case Twist: Survivor’s Friend Arrested, Named Prime Accused By Police
In a major development in the Durgapur medical student rape case, police on Monday arrested the survivor’s male friend, identifying him as the prime accused in the assault. The arrest, which brings the total number of people in custody to five, came after the survivor implicated him in her formal statement recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC.
According to Sunil Kumar Chowdhury, Police Commissioner of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, the investigation has now established that the student was raped by a single perpetrator, ruling out gang rape at this stage. “As per the survivor’s own account and supporting physical evidence, one person committed the rape,” Chowdhury said at a press briefing.
He confirmed that the role of the friend had been considered “doubtful” from the beginning and he “remains under the scanner.”The accused friend will be produced in court on Wednesday. Police have recovered the victim’s mobile phone and have conducted a reconstruction of the crime scene with the accused friend present to verify the sequence of events.
Forensic evidence, including the clothes of one of the accused, has been collected and sent for examination.While police have established the presence of all five arrested individuals at various stages of the incident, the commissioner emphasized that further action depends on the awaited forensic and medical reports. The investigation continues as authorities work to piece together the full timeline of the horrific crime that has sparked nationwide outrage.
