The Durgapur Township police on Monday arrested the fifth accused in the alleged gang-rape of a second-year medical student at a private medical college.
The man was arrested from the house of a relation of his in a locality in Durgapur where he went into hiding soon after Friday night’s crime.
Among the five accused in the case, three people were arrested on Sunday. On Monday, the remaining two accused absconding since Friday night were arrested on Monday.
“The three accused on Sunday were given police custody. We will ask for the remand of the other two. Now that we have got all the five accused in the case, a reconstruction of the event will be done where the incident took place,” said a police source.
The men had dragged the girl to a wooded area near her college on Friday after she had stepped out of her hostel to have dinner.
Police sources said there are discrepancies in the initial statements given by her companion and the college authorities, which have to be corroborated.
The survivor’s family members have alleged that the police should have arrested her companion who according to initial reports had fled leaving their daughter behind.
“Investigation is on. Whoever is found involved in the incident will be arrested and punished,” said a senior police officer.
Leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari travelled to Durgapur on Monday and claimed one of the accused arrested in the case has links with the ruling Trinamool.
Bengal’s ruling party has, in turn, been highlighting such crimes from BJP-ruled states to hit back.