West Bengal Police on Tuesday escorted the five accused arrested in connection with the alleged gang rape of a medical student in Durgapur to the crime scene for a reconstruction of the incident.
The accused were taken to a secluded jungle area near the Paranaganj Kali Bari cremation ground, located close to the entrance gates of a private medical college where the victim studied.
As part of the investigation, two of the five accused were also taken to their respective residences on Tuesday morning. According to a senior police official, this step was taken to locate and recover any possible evidence related to the assault that may have been hidden.
One of the accused is a former security guard at the same private medical college where the incident is believed to be linked. Another currently works at a different hospital in the region. The remaining three accused include a temporary worker employed by the local municipal authority, an unemployed youth, and another whose occupation is still under verification.
The 23-year-old from Odisha was allegedly gang raped near IQ City Medical College in Durgapur on the night of 10 October. Around 8 p.m., the student had left the campus with a male classmate for dinner when they were followed by three local men, as captured on CCTV near the campus gate. The attackers dragged the woman roughly 500 metres to a nearby wooded area, where she was assaulted. Police suspect five men were involved, with two more joining the initial trio during the crime. The perpetrators allegedly threatened her life, stole her mobile phone and ₹200 in cash, and later demanded a ₹3,000 ransom via the stolen phone. The male classmate reportedly fled the scene, returned to campus alone around 8:42 p.m., and reappeared with the victim near 9:30 p.m., according to a statement from the college. Her family was informed by fellow students, and a formal police complaint was filed by her father the next day.
