Woman ‘raped’ in cab in Kolkata,2 held

The incident comes four months after the Park Street rape case,which left Kolkata cold,and sparked a public outcry.

According to the complaint lodged today,the 26-year-old woman was returning home after visiting her ailing husband at SSKM hospital. She took a cab (WB04 F 2892) from Exide crossing,intending to go to Sealdah.

The driver,later identified as Mumtaz Khan,instead drove to National Medical College despite the woman’s protests. Khan picked up his friend Habib on the way and asked him to drive. Pretending to be sick,Khan sat on the passenger seat beside the woman.

The woman alleged that she was driven to a deserted area near DLF building at Rajarhat and raped. The men also took her gold chain and Rs 3,000 cash,she said. The men then dropped her off Beleghata bridge. She walked up to an officer on duty on Sealdah flyover,who took her to Entally police station where she filed the complaint.

“A complaint under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code was lodged and our officers quickly swung into action,” said a senior officer of Entally police station.

“Habib was arrested from Darga Road and later Mumtaz Khan was picked up from Beckbagan area,” said P K Ghosh,Joint Commissioner (Crime).

Both Khan and the woman have been sent for medical tests.

Khan and Habib will be produced in court tomorrow. Sources said Habib might get away with light punishment as he fully cooperated with the police during investigation and helped them in netting Khan. Habib also reportedly tried to stop Khan several times from raping the woman.

After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s goof-up in the last rape case — she had alleged that the incident was cooked up to malign her government — Transport Minister Madan Mitra spoke cautiously this time. He said,“I have heard snatches of the incident but nothing officially,so it would be too early to react.”

CPM state secretary Biman Bose said,“It was good to see that the police reacted fast and arrested the accused. The state should continue to perform on a war footing in cases like these.”

According to preliminary investigations,the car was given on hire to an IT giant and Khan used to drive it. According to Kolkata Police records,the car was owned by one Noor Alam,residing at 18A AJC Bose Road. But in effect,it was found that a lady,Kaneez Fatima,lived there. Kaneez said that no one by the name of Noor Alam resided at that address.