Durgapur, West Bengal: A sub-divisional court in Durgapur has rejected the bail pleas of two of the six accused in the alleged gang rape of a second-year medical college student. The court has further ordered a fast-track trial in the case.
The victim, a student at a medical college in Durgapur, was allegedly gang-raped. Police arrested six individuals in connection with the crime. Among those arrested is the survivor's classmate, who has been identified as the "main conspirator or mastermind" behind the assault, according to the survivor's lawyer. One of the accused, Wasef Ali, claimed he and the survivor were in a "love affair" and that he "did not rape her," a claim the court dismissed.
On Wednesday, the Durgapur court initially rejected the bail pleas of four accused and sent them to judicial custody. Following the completion of their police remand periods, which ranged from 7 to 10 days, all six accused were produced before the court. The court has ordered their judicial custody until October 27, their next scheduled court appearance.
The court has also ordered a Test Identification (TI) parade to be conducted. During the Test Identification parade, Firdous Sheikh was identified as the main accused. The police have added several sections against two of the six accused.
The survivor has been discharged from the hospital under police protection. The Asansol-Durgapur Commissioner of Police (CP), Sunil Kumar Choudhary, confirmed the arrests of all six individuals implicated in the Durgapur rape case.
The case has sparked outrage and protests in West Bengal, with many demanding swift justice for the victim. The Governor of West Bengal has also submitted a report to the President and Home Ministry regarding the Durgapur rape case. The father of the victim has urged for the transfer of the investigation to the CBI.
