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Kolkata, Oct 24 (IANS) The test identification (TI) parade of six accused arrested in the gang rape case of a second-year medical student of a private medical college and hospital in West Bengal’s Durgapur was held on Friday in the presence of judicial and police officials.
During the TI parade, the victim, who hails from Odisha, identified the main perpetrator of the sexual assault among the six accused. According to police sources, the young medical student also identified the remaining accused and described the roles allegedly played by each of them on the night of the crime. Officials said his statement during the TI parade will play an important role if charges are formally framed in the court.
The horrific incident occurred on the night of October 10 in a wooded area just outside the campus, shocking the student community and sparking widespread public outrage.
However, investigating officials refused to provide further details.
An official of the Asansol-Durgapur police commissionerate, under whose jurisdiction the crime scene and medical institutions fall, said, “The TI parade was conducted strictly as per legal provisions by following all the guidelines. Video recording of the entire process was done following the procedure. A comprehensive report will be presented before the court during the trial.”
The trial court of Durgapur had directed on October 22 that the TI parade should be organized on Friday, and had also rejected the bail plea of the accused. The judges said that such a serious crime requires an uninterrupted investigation and there is no scope for tampering with witnesses.
The 19-year-old medical student was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by five men in a wooded area near the perimeter of the campus. Acting on his complaint, the police immediately arrested the five accused. Investigators later said that while all were involved in the conspiracy, only one person physically assaulted her.
In a dramatic twist, the police also arrested the survivor’s male friend after alleged inconsistencies were noticed in his statements during successive rounds of interrogation, suggesting a possible angle of betrayal or prior knowledge. The investigation is still going on.
–IANS
Source/PGH