Kolkata: In a significant development in the Kasba law college rape case, arrested security guard Pinaki Banerjee has reportedly claimed he was threatened by the prime accused, Monojit Mishra and his two associates when he tried to intervene after hearing the victim scream.
According to sources, police on Saturday interrogated all four accused by making them sit face-to-face. During the session, investigators reportedly noticed multiple inconsistencies and ambiguities in their statements.
Banerjee told the police that the victim was screaming when she was being forcibly dragged into the guard room.On hearing her cries, he rushed to the spot. When he questioned what was happening, Monojit, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee allegedly asked him to leave. Despite the warning, Banerjee said he continued to question them, after which the trio allegedly threatened to shoot him if he persisted.
Sources said Monojit, Zaib and Pramit have been frequently changing their statements in an apparent attempt to mislead investigators. They also allegedly tried to confuse the police during the reconstruction of the incident.
So far, several individuals have been questioned in connection with the case. The reconstruction of events by the accused and the complainant were conducted separately. Police have also recovered CCTV footage from the college premises, which is said to support the woman’s allegations against the three men.
In addition, investigators have created a 3D map of the crime scene and surrounding areas, which is expected to assist the probe going forward.