Kolkata B-school rape probe hits wall as 'survivor', her advocate father won't speak

KOLKATA: A forensic team collected Sunday soft drink and water bottles, two types of hair strands, and other samples from a sealed hostel room in a premier Kolkata management institute, where a 24-year-old psychologist accused a student of drugging and raping her during a supposed counselling session. However, the probe hit a wall as the "woman and her family refused to cooperate"."In an ideal situation, we would have spoken to the survivor at length, got her medico-legal test done, and collected her clothes and phone, which are all crucial evidence in such a probe. However, we haven't been able to do this as the survivor is not cooperating. We called her to the police station, but she has not come," said a senior officer.The woman alleged she was offered pizza and a drink after being invited to the male student's hostel room Friday. But the case took a turn within 12 hours of the complaint when her father publicly denied any crime had occurred and accused police of coercion. The family's two-storey house in a semi-urban village, 12km from the B-school, may hold answers to the silence. The village is a curious mix of modernity and tradition - paved roads, gaming computers, and women running sewing schools - yet still bends under the weight of conservatism. Cellphones buzz in every household. As does silence when questions of justice arise.Attempts to reach the survivor's family were thwarted by four youths on bikes. "They have nothing to say. They are not at home," one of them said curtly. The woman's advocate father declined to speak. Kamal Mia, a 60-year-old village elder who prays thrice daily at the local mosque, said: "My grandson is studying medicine. There's a big difference between new and old generations." A nine-member SIT began work amid what officials called "zero help" from the complainant and her family. Police collected logbooks from the main gate and hostel entrance, along with CCTV footage from multiple campus zones, in an attempt to build a timeline and verify claims.The family's silence isn't restricted to police. Both state and national women's panels have launched suo motu probes, but failed to speak with the woman or her family.