Durgapur: Police sources on Thursday said that Wasef Ali, a second-year MBBS student and classmate of the Durgapur gang-rape survivor, allegedly tried to mislead investigators about his role in the case. Wasef, who was arrested on Wednesday, is now charged with gangrape, extortion, and snatching.

According to officials, it was the survivor’s hostel roommate, also a second-year MBBS student, who first alerted the authorities and brought the incident to light — contradicting Wasef’s earlier claim that he had handled the matter privately.

Contradictory statements raise suspicion

In his initial statement on October 11, Wasef told police that the survivor had confided in him about being raped but that they mutually decided to “keep the incident under wraps.” He said he dropped her off at her hostel on the night of October 10 and then returned to his own hostel, claiming he could not contact anyone as the survivor did not have her phone.

However, the survivor’s roommate’s testimony raised red flags. She told police that the attackers forced the survivor to call Wasef, and when he arrived, he allegedly spoke to one of the accused for nearly 30 minutes. She further alleged that the attackers again asked the survivor to call Wasef, but he “ran away and stopped picking up calls.”

According to TOI, the survivor later told police that Wasef had abandoned her and refused to answer her calls during the assault.

Police find inconsistencies in Wasef’s version

Investigators said Wasef’s statement “craftily omitted” key details. He claimed they were taking a walk outside the campus when they were confronted by a group of bikers. Out of fear, they both ran and hid among bushes before he later returned and took the survivor back to the hostel.
He mentioned only briefly that the survivor asked him if she was bleeding — to which he replied by asking why — and she allegedly told him that one of her attackers had raped her.

Evidence seized from Wasef’s hostel room

Police on Thursday conducted two searches of Room 418-T, a triple-occupancy room on the fourth floor of the New Boys Hostel, where Wasef stayed.

  • The first visit, at 7:05 am, lasted 15 minutes.
  • During the second search, conducted in Wasef’s presence, police seized a pair of shorts and a bag containing 11 condoms.
  • His roommate, Sheikh Sahik, was present during the seizure.

Police also cordoned off a 50-metre radius near the site of the assault, where they reportedly recovered a used condom.

Authorities said forensic examination of the recovered items will help establish the timeline and corroborate the survivor’s account.