A team from the Agripada police on Thursday left for West Bengal to hunt for Ashfaq, one of the accused in the July 31 gangrape of the teenager. Another team has also left for Hyderabad to trace him. The 19-year-old girl came forward two days ago and alleged that three of the accused in the August 22 case along with two others, a minor and Ashfaq had gangraped her. The 17-year-old minor has already been arrested.
A police officer privy to the investigation said, “The team left at around 6 am on Thursday. They will be in Kolkata and might proceed to the Medinipur district where he is suspected to be hiding. Another team has gone to Hyderabad. In all likelihood, Ashfaq might be hiding with a friend or a distant relative. We hope to catch him soon.”
Additionally, it has been revealed that the arrested minor in the gangrape ignored the girl’s boyfriend’s pleas to spare her and instead laughed when he was told of the two being in a serious relationship. “The boy said he loved the girl and asked the accused to spare them. The minor, however, laughed and said that there was no such thing as love. He then asked her boyfriend to stay quiet and that this (sex) was the only thing important while being with a girl,” said an officer.