KOLKATA: The confidential deposition of the woman who has accused a 26-year-old MBA student of rape at a prestigious business school in Kolkata could not be recorded on Monday. According to the government lawyer, the survivor is still reeling from the psychological trauma of the alleged eight-hour ordeal. The court was informed that her statement might be recorded on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, during the hearing at the Alipore Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, the defence counsel, Subrata Sardar, submitted a petition citing recent media statements allegedly made by the complainant’s father, in which he reportedly denied the occurrence of rape. These statements, which have circulated widely on news outlets and social media, were requested to be added to the case records.
“The complainant’s father has categorically denied the incident. These statements are now part of the public domain and should be considered as evidence,” Sardar argued in court.
The defence also questioned the need for the accused’s continued police custody, highlighting that the survivor’s family has not yet consented to either a medico-legal examination or the official recording of her statement. Sardar indicated that a plea to reduce the custody duration may be filed soon.
Responding to the defence’s arguments, Chief Public Prosecutor Sourin Ghosal stated, “The accused has no say in the mode or manner of the investigation.”
Later in the day, police conducted a medico-legal examination of the accused, who, according to investigators, has begun cooperating with the probe. The survivor, however, has not yet agreed to undergo a medical examination, officials said.
As part of the ongoing investigation, police are awaiting a response from the institute to question at least three students whom the accused reportedly contacted during the timeframe mentioned in the complaint. Authorities also plan to question at least two security personnel posted at the hostel and campus gates.
According to police, the accused has stated that he connected with the woman through a dating app three months ago and had met her only twice. On the day of the incident, he reportedly emailed the campus security office informing them that a friend would be visiting, and subsequently hosted the woman at his hostel.
Investigators are working to verify the exact duration of the woman’s presence on campus. While she initially claimed she arrived at 11:45 a.m. and remained until evening before filing her complaint, the institute’s records and CCTV footage suggest otherwise.
“As per the data provided by the institute, she was on campus for about two hours and twenty minutes, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. We are now trying to determine where she went after leaving the premises,” an officer said.
Police are also verifying the survivor’s background, including her educational qualifications. She has claimed to be a psychologist.
