The sister of one of the individuals involved in the sexual assault case of a medical student in Durgapur, West Bengal, played a pivotal role in aiding the police in apprehending him. According to a report by The Times of India, Rozina Sk, the sister, orchestrated a meeting with her brother and assisted the authorities in locating him.
Initially classified as a gangrape incident, the authorities reclassified the case as a rape on Tuesday. All five suspects have since been apprehended by the police.
Last Friday, the victim, a medical student from Odisha, was subjected to a sexual assault in a forest near her educational institution while out for dinner with a friend.
During her medical treatment, she recounted how the perpetrators confiscated her phone, coerced her to contact her friend, and when he failed to arrive, they dragged her deeper into the forest and assaulted her sexually, as per a statement.
To aid in building a solid case, the five suspects and the victim’s friend were taken to the crime scene on Tuesday for a reconstruction. The crime scene was identified as the Paranaganj Kali Bari cremation ground by a report from the news agency PTI.
Rozina Sk arranged a meeting with her brother, Safiq Sk, beneath a bridge in the Andal area of Durgapur on Monday. She accompanied a police team to the meeting location and persuaded her brother to surrender and face the consequences of his actions.
Since the incident on Friday, Safiq had been evading the authorities.
She mentioned to the publication that her brother appeared fearful while being transported in a police vehicle from the meeting spot to the police station. She reassured him that surrendering was the right decision and that he had nothing to fear if he was innocent.
On Monday, Safiq and another suspect, Sk Nasiruddin, were arrested. Three additional suspects, Sk Riyazuddin, Apu Barui, and Firdaus Sk, were apprehended on Sunday, according to the report.
Rozina expressed to The Times of India that the frequent police visits to their home following the incident had brought dishonor to their family, but that situation had now changed.
The Commissioner of Police of Asansol-Durgapur, Sunil Kumar Chowdhury, clarified on Tuesday that the incident was not a gangrape.
Chowdhury stated, “Based on the survivor’s statement and physical evidence, it has been determined that only one individual was involved in the assault.”
The case, which has garnered political attention due to statements made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and criticisms from the BJP regarding the state’s law and order situation, still lacks full clarity.