Fourth Accused Held in Gang-Rape of Odia Medical Student

Bhubaneswar: The Durgapur police on Sunday arrested another accused in connection with the alleged gang-rape of an Odia medical student studying at a private college in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district, taking the total number of arrests to four.

The accused have been identified as Apo Bauri, Firdos Sheikh, Nasiruddin, and Rezaul Sheikh. All four were produced before the SDJM, Durgapur, who remanded them to 10 days’ police custody for further interrogation.

Earlier, three accused were apprehended within 36 hours of the incident. The victim, a medical student from Odisha, was allegedly gang-raped outside the college campus in Durgapur on Friday night, shortly after she had gone out for dinner with a friend.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday spoke to the victim’s father, a resident of Jaleswar in Balasore district, expressing deep grief and concern over the incident. The CM assured the family of all possible assistance and said he was “deeply saddened and heartbroken” by the crime.

Reacting to the case, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said that girls should not be allowed to go out at night, but added that her government maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards such crimes. She has directed the police to take strict action against all the accused involved in the incident.