Bengal: Medical student gang-raped raped near college campus in Durgapur

The second-year MBBS student of a private medical college in Durgapur, who is a resident of Odisha’s Jaleshwar, is admitted to the hospital

We have received a complaint. An FIR has been registered, police said (Representative photo)

Kolkata: A 23-year-old medical student was allegedly gang-raped outside her college campus in West Bengal’s Durgapur after stepping out with a friend to get food on Friday night.

The unidentified men allegedly snatched her mobile phone and ₹5,000 before fleeing. “We have received a complaint from the victim’s father. An FIR has been registered and sections pertaining to gang rape have been included. Investigation is going on. The girl’s statements have been recorded. Our teams are already out. It is too early to say anything,” a police officer from Asansol–Durgapur city police said.

The second-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) student of a private medical college in Durgapur, who is a resident of Odisha’s Jaleshwar, is admitted to the hospital.

A four-member team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) met her at the hospital on Saturday. “She is in a state of shock. Her condition is stable. She has suffered some injuries. This is very unfortunate and alarming. I am shocked,” gynaecologist Archana Majumdar, a member of the NCW team, said.

“She went out to have food on her friend’s request outside the campus. Three people started following them. Her friend abandoned her and fled. My daughter also started running but couldn’t trace her friend. When the three men found my daughter alone, they took her to a nearby forest area. Two more people joined them. One of them committed the crime and snatched her mobile. She was threatened that she would be killed if she dared to shout,” the woman’s mother said.

The parents, who travelled to Durgapur after being informed by her classmates late in the night, have named the student with whom their daughter had gone out — and some of his associates — in the police complaint, though they couldn’t identify the “associates.”

“We received a call from her classmates around 9.30 pm. Her classmates informed us that she was raped and that we should immediately come to Durgapur. We reached the campus on Saturday morning. She is not well and is admitted in the hospital. The miscreants demanded money to return her mobile,” the father said.

The police said that a few persons were being questioned, even though there had been no arrests till 5:30 pm on Saturday.

“We are probing all angles. A few persons have been detained for questioning. Footage from CCTV along the route and nearby areas is being scanned,” the officer said.

State women and child development minister Shashi Panja said, “There has been an unfortunate incident on Friday night. The complaint is of a gang rape. Police have started the investigation. The victim’s parents have expressed faith in the ongoing investigation. The victim is undergoing treatment and psychological counselling.”

Meanwhile, students of the medical college staged protests inside the campus on Saturday over the alleged inaction and silence of the college authorities.

“What has aggravated our pain and anger is the unacceptable delay, silence and lack of immediate action from the college administration in addressing this serious and sensitive matter,” stated a memorandum submitted by the students to the college principal.

“Despite the incident occurring near the college premises, there was no immediate FIR filed, no prompt public statement issued, and no emergency safety response activated. This negligence and inaction from the authorities amounts to betrayal of student trust and moral failure of the institution,” the statement added.

The state health department has sought a report from the private medical college.

The incident also sparked a political war of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Suvendu Adhikari spoke with the victim’s father and assured all help. “BJP workers led by legislators have gathered at the police station. There have been no arrests till Saturday afternoon. No one is safe in the state’s government or private medical colleges. Police are interested in extorting money and installing flags of the ruling TMC. Women are not safe. The culprits are not getting exemplary punishments. The chief minister speaks on everything but is now silent,” the Leader of the Opposition in the state legislative assembly said.

Hitting back, Panja said in a video message, “Such crimes against women shouldn’t be politicised. But unfortunately, the BJP sees such incidents through a political lens. The chief minister doesn’t compromise when there is some injustice against women. We have to wait for the investigation to be completed. BJP shouldn’t try to take political advantage out of this. Crime against women in BJP-ruled states is also very unfortunate and should never be politicised.”