Bengal student, drugged and gangraped, alleges threat calls, pressure from Trinamool

Kolkata: A security guard has been arrested in connection with the gangrape of a first-year polytechnic student in West Bengal, police said on Saturday. The victim has alleged receiving threats for withdrawing her complaint.

The victim, a student of Rupnarayanpur Nazrul Centenary Polytechnic College, was sexually assaulted on Wednsday in the college premises in Rupnarayanpur in Burdwan district, about 200 km from Kolkata, police said.

She said on Saturday: "Ever since my father lodged a police complaint naming members of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, we have been getting threat calls asking us to withdraw the complaint."

Apart from naming a Parishad office-bearer from the college, the victim also named one of her woman classmates for allegedly facilitating the crime, police said.

The father of the victim also said that local leaders from the ruling Trinamool Congress were putting pressure on him and his family to cover up the case.

"They have asked me not to lodge an official complaint. They are all trying to cover it up," he said.

After the sexual assault, the victim was found in an unconscious state and admitted to hospital for treatment, police said.

Her father alleged that she was first drugged and then gangraped. The accused also videographed her while she lay at the college union room. His complaint named at least three students.

Following the complaint, the police arrested a security guard of the college.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Asansol-Durgapur) Subrata Gangopadhyay told IANS: "We have arrested a man following a complaint of gangrape. The accused has been produced before a court and we have sought his custody."

Meanwhile, rebel Trinamool leader Kabir Suman blamed "irresponsible comments" by party leaders, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, for the rising instances of atrocities against women.