Student drugged, gang-raped and held captive at b'day party, 2 accused on run

Kolkata: A 20-year-old college student from Haridevpur was allegedly drugged, gang-raped, assaulted, and held captive overnight by two friends during a birthday party in Tollygunge on Friday.

The accused, Chandan Malik and Debangsu Biswas (mentioned as Dweep in the complaint), are on the run and police are looking for them. Cops said Malik also had a criminal record of frequent skirmishes and assault in the area. According to the FIR registered under Haridevpur Police Station, the woman was picked up by Malik on his bike and was taken to a rented home in the Regent Colony area in Tollygunge near Malancha cinema, where Biswas lived. The trio were apparently celebrating the birthday of Biswas. CCTV footage shows the duo entering his home on a bike around 10.45 pm.

The college student, who works part-time at a store, alleged that at the party, her drink was spiked, and once she started feeling dizzy, the two pounced on her.

"She managed to escape around 10.30 am the next day. She told the ordeal to her parents and later approached the police with a written complaint," said a senior officer of Kolkata Police. A case was registered under multiple sections of the BNS dealing with gang rape, abduction, stalking, voluntarily causing hurt, and wrongful confinement. Sources close to the investigation revealed that the survivor knew Malik for several months. Malik, who is associated with a big-budget puja in Haridevpur, reportedly lured the woman with promises of involving her in the puja committee's activities, which led to frequent interactions between them. This gave the suspects the opportunity to exploit her trust, police said. A senior member of the club said: "There are some 300 members in the club, and Malik was one of them. But we have no clue about the crime he committed. If he is found guilty, we will definitely cancel his registration."

TOI visited the Regent Colony home of Biswas and found it under lock and key. A neighbour said: "Biswas used to live here with his mother for the last six months. He works at a state govt department. He got the job after his father died while in service," she said.

The woman, who underwent her medical examination, and identified the crime spot before cops will register her testimony at Alipore Court on Tuesday.