Durgapur gang rape case: Police reconstruct crime scene with accused and survivor’s friend

Durgapur: As part of the ongoing investigation into the gang rape of a second-year medical student in Durgapur, West Bengal Police on Tuesday took the five arrested accused and the survivor’s friend to the crime spot for a reconstruction of the incident, a senior police officer said.

The reconstruction was carried out in the jungle area near Paranaganj Kali Bari cremation ground, where the incident allegedly occurred on Friday night. Both the accused and the survivor’s friend, who had accompanied her that night, were asked to reenact their respective roles in the incident. The entire process will be videographed for analysis and will be cross-verified with their earlier statements as well as the survivor’s account, the officer said.

Prior to the reconstruction, the investigating officers questioned the survivor’s friend for nearly an hour. His role during the incident is under scrutiny as he was present with the survivor on the night of the assault.

Two of the arrested accused were taken to their homes as part of the investigation to recover any concealed evidence. Police reportedly seized clothes from their residences which they allegedly wore during the crime.

The clothes of the other three accused had already been collected earlier.

"These clothes will be sent for forensic examination. The results will help in our investigation," he said, adding that the background of the five arrested accused was also checked to find out whether they were involved in some crime in the past.

The mobile phones recovered from the accused have been sent for forensic testing. Investigators believe the data on these devices could offer crucial leads. Police are also interrogating fellow students of the survivor to gather additional context about the incident.

Who are the accused?

According to police, the five arrested accused come from different backgrounds:

One is a former security guard of the private medical college.

Another is currently employed at a different hospital.

One works as a temporary employee with the local civic body.

Another is unemployed.

The background of the fifth accused was not disclosed in detail.

The five accused are scheduled to undergo medical examinations later in the day, as part of standard investigative procedure.

Background of the incident:

The survivor, a second-year student from Odisha’s Jaleswar, had reportedly gone out for dinner with a friend on Friday night when the alleged assault took place just outside the campus of a private medical college in Durgapur.

The investigation is ongoing, and more details are expected to emerge as forensic and digital evidence is analysed.