The survivor managed to escape from the flat around 10:30 am on Saturday.
A 20-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by two acquaintances on her birthday in Kolkata’s Regent Park area, police said on Sunday. The incident took place on Friday night in the southern part of the city.
The two accused have been identified as Chandan Malik and Deep. Police sources confirmed that Deep works as a government employee. Both are currently absconding.
According to the complaint, the survivor, a resident of Haridevpur, said that Chandan invited her to Deep’s flat on the pretext of celebrating her birthday.
"The woman's birthday was on Friday. On that occasion, the accused Chandan and Deep took the victim to the latter's flat. There, they had a meal. She said that when she wanted to return home, the accused stopped her. They allegedly locked the door and gang-raped her," said a police source.
The survivor managed to escape from the flat around 10:30 am on Saturday. She reached home and informed her family about the incident. Later, her family helped her lodge a First Information Report (FIR) under relevant sections.
Police said the woman had met Chandan a few months ago. He had introduced himself as the head of a large Durga Puja committee in south Kolkata. Through him, she came into contact with Deep.
The two men had reportedly promised to involve her in the committee’s activities. Police believe this promise was part of their attempt to gain her trust.
A senior officer confirmed that a search operation has started to trace the absconding accused. "We have started a search for the accused who are absconding," the officer said.
Police teams are checking multiple locations linked to both men. Statements from the survivor and her family members have been recorded.
The incident has shocked residents, as Kolkata is often considered one of the safest cities for women in India, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
However, the city has witnessed multiple disturbing incidents in recent months. On June 25, a law student was allegedly raped inside the South Calcutta Law College campus. The accused, alumnus Monojit Mishra, was later arrested.
Last year, the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital sparked nationwide protests. The main accused, Sanjay Roy, a former civic police volunteer, was sentenced to life imprisonment earlier this year.
