Kolkata (Reported by Tapas Sengupta): A woman and her sister were allegedly molested during a party at five-star hotel adjacent to EM Bypass in Kolkata. The police have arrested two individuals in connection with the case, including a Delhi resident.
The incident occurred around 11:50 PM on September 2. The woman, identified as Moumit Sarkar, 38, from Rajarhat, Kolkata, filed a complaint against two men—Arun Kumar, 60, a resident of Delhi’s Pitampura area, and Rinku Gupta, 43, from Kolkata. According to the complaint, the accused men molested the woman and her sister, Susmita Nag, by touching them in an objectionable manner and threatening them with dire consequences. The incident took place at Sky Point, a venue within the hotel.
The complaint was registered at the Pragati Maidan police station on August 4, under Sections 74, 351(2), and 54 of the Bengal Non-State Security Act (BNS). Following the complaint, the police contacted the ITC Royal authorities, who provided details about the accused. Arun Kumar, an NRI residing in Italy, was staying at the hotel, and he allegedly invited Rinku Gupta to join him at the party where the incident occurred. Both men were arrested from the hotel.
This disturbing incident unfolded on the same day that the West Bengal Assembly passed the Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill, 2024. This legislation was introduced amid national outrage over the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last month. The bill, which was passed unanimously, proposes the death penalty for rape convicts if their actions lead to the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state.
With the passage of this bill, West Bengal became the first state to introduce amendments to central laws dealing with rape, gang rape, and sexual crimes against children. The legislation was supported by both the ruling party and the opposition, demonstrating the state’s commitment to tackling sexual violence.
The investigation into the molestation case at the hotel is ongoing.