A 20-year-old woman from Haridevpur has alleged that she was gang-raped by two acquaintances during her birthday celebration on Friday, September 5, India Today reported.
The accused, identified as Chandan Mallick and Dwip (Deep) Biswas, are currently absconding, and police have launched an investigation, according to the report.
Citing police sources, the report said the survivor had met Chandan Mallick several months ago. Mallick, who claimed to be the head of a South Kolkata puja committee, later introduced her to Dwip. Both allegedly promised her involvement in the committee, and the three began talking regularly.
On the night of the incident, the accused allegedly took the survivor to a flat in the Regent Park area, where they shared a meal. When she tried to leave, they allegedly locked the door, assaulted, and raped her. She managed to escape the next morning and returned home, the report added.
The survivor then lodged a complaint at Haridevpur police station. In its statement, police said: “The FIR-named accused Chandan Mallick brought the complainant to the house of another accused, Dwip Biswas near Malancha, where both allegedly raped and assaulted her. An investigation in the case is ongoing.”
Authorities are working to trace the accused and have urged anyone with information to come forward.
The incident comes months after a 24-year-old law student was gang-raped on the South Calcutta Law College campus in June this year. Three students and a security guard were arrested in that case, which triggered widespread protests and heightened concerns over women’s safety in the city.