Two more people were arrested on Monday in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 23-year-old medical student in West Bengal’s Durgapur, taking the total number of accused in custody to five. The incident, which took place on Friday night, has sparked a major political controversy in poll-bound Bengal, with the BJP accusing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of attempting to “destroy evidence.” The case has drawn national outrage, prompting the Odisha State Commission for Women to intervene and send a delegation to Durgapur.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Asansol-Durgapur), Abhisekh Gupta, confirmed, “Two more arrests have been made. With these, all five accused have been taken into custody on the basis of the complaint filed by the survivor.”
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari accused the Mamata Banerjee government of “destroying evidence” and termed the arrests an “eyewash.” He alleged one of the accused, Sheikh Nasiruddin, is linked to the TMC. “The accused will be set free on bail within 20 days,” Adhikari claimed.
#WATCH | West Bengal LoP and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari says, “…Trinamool hatao, beti bachao. It is the main slogan everywhere in Bengal. Trinamool should go…They don’t allow LoP to talk with doctors, they blocked the Women’s Commission from Odisha. The private college… https://t.co/GMB1iwWoeK pic.twitter.com/yzZRgsotFB
— ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2025
Responding to the charge, TMC’s Debangshu Bhattacharya said, “Even if a relative of the accused is connected to the TMC, it doesn’t implicate the party. Police here are not bothered about political affiliations.” Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh added that the Chief Minister is in north Bengal overseeing flood relief, insisting that “swift justice” is being ensured and accusing the BJP of “trying to fish in troubled waters.”
The 23-year-old, a second-year student from Balasore, Odisha, was allegedly gang-raped while dining out with a male friend. Police said three men initially surrounded the pair and snatched her phone before two others joined, and the five allegedly raped her. The friend is currently detained for questioning after his conduct raised suspicion.
