Calcutta, Feb. 19: Three men arrested for the rape of a 37-year-old woman in a moving car on the night of February 5 are known offenders who operated smoothly with the alleged assistance of a section of the Park Street police station .

The Telegraph has learnt that the trio face cases against them in at least four police stations in the city.

A few months ago, a complaint had been lodged with Park Street police station against Sumit Bajaj, Ruman Khan and Nasir Khan for their involvement in fisticuffs at the same nightspot of a five-star hotel where they were on the night on February 5.

Despite having their names in the record-book in the police station, they used to roam the party district freely because the officer deputed to keep a watch on them had almost become a silent accomplice.

Police sources said an officer of the sub-inspector rank enjoyed a “very good relationship” with Sumit, Ruman and Nasir, who frequented the nightspot. The officer, police sources said, also knows the fugitive duo who were in the Honda car when the woman was allegedly raped: Nasir’s brother Kader and Johnny.

Earlier, plainclothesmen from the detective department used to visit the nightclub on every weekend nights to check whether “everything was in place or rowdy elements were mingling with the party crowd”.

“But the routine visit was withdrawn after superior officers came to know that the men who were supposed to keep a close eye on the party crowd were themselves taking advantage of the hotel and consuming liquor free inside the night club,” an officer said.