So far, only one of the three accused has been arrested. (Representational)
In a case of immense brutality, three men in West Bengal's Murshidabad district allegedly tried to rape a woman and tortured her and her friend with a hot iron rod as they suspected the two were in a relationship.
According to the police and a family member's complaint, around 11 pm on October 25, the three men barged inside the house in Adhua Belaipara village where the two women - one of them visiting the other - were sleeping.
Even though the two women introduced themselves as friends, on being interrogated by the three men, they were brutally beaten up, police said.
The women have said they were stripped and assaulted with hot iron rods on their legs and stomach.
The three attackers have been identified as Saheb Sheikh, Kadam Mollah and Samjer Sheikh, all from Murshidabad.
"I had gone to my friend's house. Kadam, Saheb and Samjer beat me up together. I resisted when they tried to rape me. They hit me with an iron rod. I want them to be punished," the victim told reporters.
When her friend intervened and tried to stop the attackers, she was also beaten up, police said. Though she did not inform her family about the incident at night, she was rushed to Sagardighi Super Specialty Hospital as her condition deteriorated. She was discharged from the hospital after a week.
So far, only one of the three accused has been arrested, which has led to anger among local residents. Police say they are searching for the other accused.
The girl's mother told reporters, "My daughter ties bidis, and she sometimes stays with her friend. We want the three men to be punished."