Durgapur, West Bengal – In a significant development in the alleged rape case of a medical student in Durgapur, police have arrested a friend of the survivor, bringing the total number of arrests to six. The Asansol-Durgapur police commissioner, Sunil Kumar Choudhary, stated that the friend, a 23-year-old classmate of the victim from Malda district, was not above suspicion.
The second-year MBBS student from Odisha's Jaleswar, studying at a private medical college, reported being sexually assaulted on October 10, 2025, after going out for dinner with the friend. The incident allegedly occurred in a forested area near the college campus.
Initially, police arrested five suspects based on phone call records and circumstantial evidence. The arrested individuals were identified as Sheikh Safiqul, Sheikh Nasiruddin, Apu Bauri, Firdous Sheikh, and Sheikh Riazuddin.
However, investigators have now cast doubt on the gang-rape claims, with Police Commissioner Choudhary stating that evidence suggests only one person was involved in the sexual assault. He cited inconsistencies between the survivor's statements, medical reports, and security camera footage. According to police, the woman initially told doctors that three people were involved, with only one committing the crime. She later claimed that five individuals dragged her into the forest and gang-raped her.
Security camera footage showed the survivor and her friend leaving the campus at 7:54 PM. The friend returned alone around 8:42 PM, loitering before leaving again at 8:48 PM. He then returned with the survivor at 9:29 PM but allegedly did not report the incident to anyone.
The survivor's father had also named her classmate as a suspect in his police complaint. Police detained the friend on October 11. He was officially arrested on Tuesday evening.
Following the initial arrests, authorities took the five accused and the survivor's friend to the crime scene to reconstruct the events of that night. The accused were asked to reenact their roles during the alleged crime.
Of the initial five arrested, one was a former security guard at the medical college, while another was employed at a different hospital. One was a temporary worker at the local civic body, and another was unemployed.
The five previously arrested individuals have been charged under sections 70(1) (gang rape) and 3(5) (crime committed with common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The investigation is ongoing, and police are exploring all angles. The survivor's statement was recorded by a magistrate. The arrested friend is expected to be produced before the Durgapur court.
