KOLKATA: A 28-year-old woman has filed a police complaint alleging physical assault and molestation inside a moving car for close to an hour after being forced into the vehicle while she was waiting for a bus near Ambedkar Setu around 9 pm on Friday.Police found her heavily drugged and abandoned in the Maidan area and took her to hospital, where her statement was recorded. Based on her complaint, the Pragati Maidan police and the detective department have initiated an investigation and are reviewing CCTV footage from surrounding areas.

The woman, who is married and resides in east Kolkata, claimed she was first offered a lift and then forcibly pulled into the car from under the Ambedkar bridge on East Topsia Road near Science City. She told cops that she knew one of the three occupants of the car — she was in touch with him for the past couple of months — but the other two were strangers. Once inside the car, she was administered some drug and went into a stupor and did not remember the details, but insisted she felt outraged. About an hour later, the youths dumped her in the Maidan and fled.“The main accused is known to the complainant. He forced her to sit in a car and then he and his two friends physically assaulted her causing injuries. They touched her inappropriately, outraged her modesty and used filthy language. The case is under investigation,” said Rupesh Kumar, joint CP (crime & traffic).Investigators said they are examining her statement, which still has several gaps, and trying to establish the chain of events and checking CCTV footage to trace the car. “We will speak to her once she recovers,” said an officer. “Once the woman is stable, arrangements will be made to record her confidential statement in court. A medical examination will also be conducted as per the court’s directive,” he added.(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)