Woman taken hostage and raped by three civic volunteers in Bengal; one held - The HinduUpdated - August 07, 2026 10:47 pm IST - KOLKATAThe woman from Cooch Behar's Mekhliganj was kept hostage at a rented apartment in Jalpaiguri's Dhupguri for three days and raped repeatedlyA young woman was allegedly taken captive and raped repeatedly over three days last week by three civic volunteers in Dhupguri, West Bengal, according to local officials. Police have arrested one of the perpetrators while two others are at large.According to the officials, the three accused abducted the victim from Mekhliganj village in Cooch Behar and took her to a rented accommodation in Jalpaiguri's Dhupguri locality.“She was kept hostage for three days and raped repeatedly before being released on Sunday (August 2, 2026). Initially, she was too terrified to approach law enforcement, but she finally lodged an FIR against them on Wednesday (August 5),” stated Jalpaiguri Rural Superintendent of Police Sautam Bandyopadhyay.Police from Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts have started an investigation. One accused, Bulbul Alam, was arrested on Thursday (August 7) and was sent to police custody for four-days. "The woman's medical examination has been conducted. We are searching for the two other accused. All of them have been working as civic volunteers in Dhupguri. The primary probe indicated they have been intimidating other women in the area while at work," he said. The incident has stirred up the Trinamool Congress which sought to corner the BJP Government over the sharp deterioration of women’s security in West Bengal.Taking to X, the Trinamool Congress wrote, "This incident has once again raised serious questions about women's safety across the State. What happened to all the tall promises made by BJP leaders? Will the usual voices of outrage speak up now? Or has selective outrage always been driven by political convenience rather than justice?"Published - August 07, 2026 08:51 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }