Kolkata: NRI Among 2 Arrested For Molesting, Threatening 2 Women During Party At 5-Star Hotel

Two men were arrested for allegedly molesting a woman and her sister during a party at a five-star hotel in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Kolkata: Police on Wednesday arrested two persons for allegedly molesting a woman and her sister during a party at a famous five-star hotel in Kolkata. Those arrested include a non-resident Indian and another a resident of Kolkata. 

According to a complaint lodged by the woman, the incident occurred at around 11.50 PM on Tuesday night. The accused molested and inappropriately touched the woman and her sister and threatened them with dire consequences.

The two arrested accused have been identified as Arun Kumar, the 60-year-old NRI residing in Italy, originally from Delhi, and 43-year-old Rinku Gupta from Kolkata. 

Arun Kumar had been staying at the five-star hotel and had called the second accused to meet him at the premises. Both the accused knew each other. They attended a party at the hotel where the molestation allegedly took place, India Today reported.

The singer registered a complaint at the Pragati Maidan police station. In her complaint, she alleged that the two accused — one of whom holds Italian citizenship and the other is a local resident — touched her inappropriately inside the five-star hotel, a senior police officer told news agency PTI.

She also alleged that the duo attempted to molest other women present at the party. The police have arrested the accused and an investigation into the matter is underway. 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). 

The incident was brought to light on the same day the West Bengal Assembly passed an anti-rape bill, The Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposing death penalty for rape convicts if their actions cause the death of a victim or leave her in a vegetative state.

This case in Kolkata comes amid the nationwide outrage and protests in the Bengal capital over the rape and murder of the 31-year-old junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.