A medical college student from Odisha was allegedly gangraped by unidentified men in Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal, police confirmed on Saturday.
The brutal incident is reported to have occurred on Friday night outside the private medical college campus in Durgapur. The second-year student had gone out for dinner with a friend, the girl’s family members informed.
The medical student, a resident of Jaleswar in Balasore district of Odisha, is currently undergoing treatment at a nearby local hospital. Following a complaint lodged by her family, police have initiated an investigation, a police officer said.
The student’s parents rushed to Durgapur after being contacted by their daughter’s friends.
The student’s mother alleged that her daughter was “gang-raped” around 10 pm on Friday after stepping out of the campus for dinner with one of her friends.
The father expressed distress, noting they chose the college for its good academic reputation. “We came here this morning and lodged a complaint with the police. I have heard that the college performed well academically, and this is why we sent our daughter to study medicine here,” the student’s father said.
According to initial police findings, the student went outside the campus with her friend around 8-8.30 pm on Friday, the police officer said.
“The friend left her alone when three unidentified men arrived there. The men snatched her phone and took her to a jungle outside the campus, where they raped her. She was threatened with dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident,” the officer said.
The accused also demanded money from the medic for the return of her mobile phone, he said.
The statement of the student has been recorded, the officer further informed.
“We spoke to the victim’s friend last night. We are trying to find out some CCTV footage. A forensic team will visit the spot to collect evidence,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, a team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) is heading towards Durgapur to meet the victim and her parents.
“Crime against women is on the rise in Bengal. The police are not taking any proactive steps in such cases. This is quite unfortunate. I will request the chief minister to come forward and work in tandem to arrest the rise of such crimes,” NCW member Archana Majumdar said.
On Sunday, the state health department sought a report from the private medical college in Durgapur, a senior official said.
“We have sought a quick report from the college authorities in this connection. Accordingly, we will take steps,” he added.
Following the alleged rape of the Odisha medical student in Durgapur, the local BJP leadership immediately staged a protest, drawing parallels to a previous high-profile crime.
The party alleged a pattern of suppression in West Bengal, specifically referencing the delayed investigation into the RG Kar rape and murder case of a junior doctor, and demanded that no cover-up occur in the current Durgapur case.
National Commission for Women (NCW) member Archana Majumdar strongly condemned the incident and linked the rise in sexual assault to delayed justice in the state. Referring to the RG Kar case, she stated that the frequency of rape is escalating because perpetrators are not being swiftly apprehended and punished.
Majumdar pointed out: ” “Incidents of sexual assault and rape are increasing because the culprits are not being caught and punished promptly. We have not seen any rapist or murderer receive the ultimate punishment in West Bengal. No one has been hanged. Despite continuous protests, justice is being delayed, and no culprits are being punished as they should be, possibly due to some invisible influence.”
Earlier on August 9 last year, the body of a postgraduate trainee was found in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The incident sent shockwaves across the country and beyond, sparking widespread and sustained protests by doctors, ordinary citizens, and women from households alike. While the sole convict, Sanjoy Roy, has already been sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has still not completed its probe into the “larger conspiracy” behind the crime, even after a year.
