Chargesheet filed against 6 in Durgapur gangrape case

Kolkata: In a major development in the Durgapur medical student gangrape case, police on Thursday filed a chargesheet against all six arrested persons, including the victim’s friend, within 20 days of the incident.

According to the case details, on the night of October 10, the student had gone out for dinner with her friend, Wasif Ali. Soon after, five men surrounded them, teased the woman and threatened Ali.

Out of fear, Ali fled the spot, while the accused dragged the woman into a nearby jungle and raped her. They also snatched her mobile phone.

Later, Ali returned to find the woman in a distressed condition. She went back to her hostel and informed the authorities, who in turn alerted her father.

Police arrested all five main accused within two days of the FIR being registered. However, Ali’s conduct and statements aroused suspicion, and he was later taken into custody. Police claimed to have collected several pieces of evidence linking him to the crime.

In the chargesheet submitted on Thursday, Ali has been charged with rape and causing the disappearance of evidence. Of the other five accused, three have been charged with gang rape, snatching, dacoity and extortion, while the remaining two face charges of snatching, dacoity and molestation.

The chargesheet runs over 860 pages and includes statements from 51 witnesses.

Special Public Prosecutor Bibhas Chatterjee said: “The investigation was conducted on a war footing.

The chargesheet has been submitted, and we will appeal for the custody trial of all the accused persons.”