Durgapur student rape: Sister hands over accused to police

MP, 16 Oct 2025, Kolkata: The fifth accused in the Durgapur medical student rape case, Safikul Sheikh, was handed over to the police by his elder sister after she traced him on her own. Police were searching for Safikul at various locations, including the homes of his relatives, when his sister intervened. 

The second-year medical student was allegedly raped in a forested area near the Paranganj Kalibari crematorium on Friday. The incident was initially believed to be a gang rape, but police later clarified that only one person had assaulted the student while the others were present at the scene. 

Following the victim’s complaint, police arrested three of the accused on Sunday. Two more, including Safikul, were arrested the next day. While police managed to locate the fourth accused through their sources, Safikul remained absconding until late Sunday night. When officers visited his residence and questioned his family members, including his elder sister Rozina Sheikh, they were unable to provide any information about his whereabouts. 

Later, feeling that her brother’s actions had brought “disrepute” to the family, Rozina decided to find him herself. She began calling relatives and Safikul’s in-laws and eventually learnt that he had gone to his in-laws’ house. 

Rozina reportedly contacted him and urged him to surrender, but he refused, claiming innocence. She then convinced him to meet her under a bridge in the Andal area, where she secretly informed the police. 

As soon as Safikul arrived at the spot, she handed him over to the officers. Speaking to the media later, Rozina said her brother’s actions had shamed the family and that she “could not let him go unpunished.”