Incident Overview
The alleged assault took place on October 10, around 8:48 pm, when the female student had left the campus for dinner with another student. According to the college, she returned later to her hostel, and it was subsequently reported that she had been assaulted while outside the campus. This follows a series of high-profile sexual assault cases in West Bengal, including the 2024 RG Kar Medical College case and a June 2025 law college case.
Communal Misrepresentation by Political Leaders
BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari posted on X claiming that four Muslim individuals — Sheikh Nasim Uddin, Sheikh Riyaz Uddin, Sheikh Ferdaus, and Sheikh Safikul — were the accused. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya amplified this claim, linking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks on hostel safety to the alleged religion of the accused. Other BJP leaders and right-wing influencers similarly circulated these names, asserting that all accused were Muslim.
Police Clarification on Arrests
Durgapur (East) Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhishek Gupta confirmed that three arrests had been made as of October 12. The arrested men are Apu Bauri (21), Firdous Sheikh (23), and Sheikh Riazuddin (32). Notably, two names frequently circulated online — Sheikh Nasim Uddin and Sheikh Safikul — are not among the arrested. Police sources also confirmed that authorities are still searching for at least one additional accused.
“No one named Safikul had been arrested yet,” DCP Gupta told Alt News, reinforcing that misinformation suggesting all accused were Muslims is false. Multiple credible news outlets, including Indian Express, have reported the verified names of the arrested individuals.
Response from Opposition and Social Media
The misrepresentation has drawn criticism from fact-checkers. By omitting the non-Muslim name, BJP politicians and social media influencers propagated a communal narrative, falsely portraying the incident as involving exclusively Muslim perpetrators. This misinformation highlights the challenges in ensuring accurate reporting during sensitive criminal investigations.
Ongoing Investigation
Police are continuing their investigation and have advised the public against spreading unverified information. The arrested individuals have been forwarded to court, and authorities are focused on ensuring that all responsible parties are apprehended without bias or communal framing.
Conclusion
The Durgapur gang-rape case underscores the importance of careful reporting and the dangers of communalising criminal incidents. Police clarification and verified reporting are crucial to prevent misinformation from influencing public perception and political narratives.
