Durgapur rape victim’s father apologises, calls Mamata ‘mother-like figure’

Kolkata: Two days after alleging that West Bengal is under “Aurangzeb’s rule,” the father of the Durgapur rape victim on Wednesday described Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a “mother-like figure” and requested her forgiveness if he had said anything wrong about her.

He also appealed to Banerjee for assistance in securing justice for his daughter, while stating that he intends to take her back home to Odisha.

“Mamata Banerjee is like a mother-like figure to me. If I have said anything wrong, I ask her to forgive me. I will render countless obeisances at her feet. But I ask her to help my daughter get justice,” he told television channels on Wednesday.

The father of the MBBS student on Monday criticised Banerjee’s remarks that “women should not venture out at night”, saying that he no longer felt safe in Bengal.

“It seems Bengal is under the rule of Aurangzeb. I want to take my daughter back to Odisha. Her life comes first, career later,” he had said.

On Wednesday, the father said he would take his daughter back home once she was declared fit by the treating doctors.

“I have been demanding a CBI probe into this case. I think that would be good. But that depends on the state administration as well,” he said.

Meanwhile, the victim’s friend, Wasif Ali, was on Wednesday remanded to seven days’ police custody after being produced before the Durgapur Sub-Divisional Court.

As none of the lawyers at the court were willing to represent Ali, he was provided legal assistance by a lawyer appointed through the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA).

According to sources, DNA tests of the five accused arrested earlier have already been conducted, and police are awaiting the reports. Meanwhile, the victim’s father appealed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure justice for his daughter and said that he would be taking her home.

Police sources said Ali will be interrogated in custody to determine his actions after the medical student was dragged into the forested area. Investigators have reportedly found discrepancies in his earlier statements, prompting further questioning. Cops are likely to confront him with the other five accused to ascertain his exact role in the incident.

Initially, Ali had told police that he fled the scene after being threatened by the five accused. However, he later claimed that he returned to the spot and accompanied the victim back to the hostel. Investigators are now trying to establish what he was doing during the time gap between fleeing and returning, and why he did not alert the police despite having his mobile phone.

It may be noted that before Ali’s arrest, police had also seized his clothes as part of the ongoing investigation.