Park Street Gangrape Case: Prime Accused Kader Khan arrested from Noida

KOLKATA: After four years of the brutal gang rape incident in Park Street area in Kolkata, the prime accused, Kader Khan has been arrested by a special team of Kolkata Police. Khan was picked up at the wee hours from his hide out in greater Noida by the special team. the team was formed six months ago by the south division of Kolkata Police to bring him to the law.

The arrest was however made 18 months after the victim, Suzette Jordan, died of serious illness. Jordan chose to come in front of media and asked her name to be made public since she ‘did not commit a sin’. While fighting her case, Jordan turned a women’s rights activist.

She passed away in March 2015, leaving behind her two daughters. In February 2012, she was abducted from a Park Street restaurant and raped by five men in a moving car. She was later thrown out of the car. Since then, Jordan had to fight at every step, from registering a rape complaint with the local police station to facing a social stigma at the trial stage. At the very outset, chief minister Mamata Banerjee called the incident as ‘fabricated one’ and one of her MPs termed it as a ‘deal gone sour’.

Besides, the main accused Kader Khan, the police arrested an accomplice named Ali Khan. The two were brought to the city on a transit remand and would be produced before a local court in Kolkata on Friday. Even though, three of five culprits were convicted, Kader and his accomplice remained absconding. According to the sources, Kader is politically connected person which allegedly saved him for so many years.

“We got information that Kader is hiding in India, and not in a foreign land. He was put on surveillance. Based on a specific tip off, our team travelled to Delhi and picked him from a house at Jamia Nagar area at 2.30 am today,” said Murli Dhar Sharma, DC, South.

The police had to raid more than ten premises in last six months for apprehending Khan. The tower location of Khan could be spotted near Jamia Nagar in Delhi and a four member team of Kolkata Police raided the premises where Khan was hiding. It was a joint operation by Kolkata and Delhi police.

Around six months ago, Kolkata police received information that Khan was back in the country and was hiding out in Gaziabad where he had rented an apartment under a fictitious name. He was put under surveillance and on Thursday night, a joint team of Delhi and Kolkata police apprehended him.