Durgapur gang-rape case: Arrested classmate's lawyer claims victim in relationship with his client

Kolkata, Oct 22 (IANS) In a stunning claim, the lawyer of an arrested individual -- the classmate of the victim in the Durgapur gang-rape case -- submitted on Wednesday that both (the accused and the victim) are in a relationship. The claim was made before a Durgapur court where the arrested classmate was presented by the police along with three others accused in the case.

On Wednesday, the arrested classmate's lawyer, Pragyadipto Roy, filed a bail application in the court. He said in his argument in court that the victim went out of the private medical college and hospital with her client of her own will.

He pointed that the victim's first statement also says that. Then the lawyer said that his client is in a love relationship with the victim. The lawyer then pleaded that the classmate should be granted bail as there is no rape charge against him.

Opposing the bail of the victim's classmate, public prosecutor Bibhas Chatterjee said that the victim had given another statement and said that her classmate had taken her to eat 'phuchka' (pani puri).

The victim also said in her statement that the arrested classmate molested her.

The public prosecutor also said in court that a lot of information will come to light if the WhatsApp chat between the victim and his arrested classmate is analysed.

The court then sent the victim's classmate and the other three accused to five-day jail custody. They will be produced before the court again on October 27.

On October 10, the second-year medical student from Odisha was allegedly gang-raped by five persons in a forested area outside a private medical college and hospital in West Burdwan district's Durgapur.

Based on the complaint lodged by the victim, the police earlier arrested all five accused persons in the case. The police said that only one person was involved in the physical sexual assault of the medical student.

Later, the police arrested the male friend of the victim.

The male friend was arrested after investigators found inconsistencies in his response during questioning.

--IANS

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