Bengal horror: Out for dinner near college, medical student raped by group of men | What happened in Durgapur

A team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) will meet the victim and her parents

A 23-year-old woman was out for routine dinner around 8.30 pm, having stepped outside the campus of the private medical college in West Bengal's Durgapur, when she and a male friend with her were attacked by a group of three men, who gangraped the woman, police said on Saturday.

Kolkata, India - Sept. 12, 2024: Wall grafitti are seen during sit-in protest by junior doctors over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital near Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata, India, on Thursday, September 12, 2024. (Photo by Samir Jana/ Hindustan Times)(Hindustan Times)

The second-year student, who is from Jaleswar in neighbouring Odisha, is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital while the men remain ununidentified as of now. The crime took place outside the college campus on Friday night, her family members said.

What probe has found so far

The parents of the student told reporters they reached Durgapur on Saturday morning after getting a call from one of their daughter's friends. The mother alleged that the woman was gangraped around 10 pm on Friday.

"I had heard that the college performed well academically, and that's why we sent our daughter to study medicine here," the student's father said.

An initial probe revealed the student went outside the campus with her friend between 8 and 8.30 pm on Friday, PTI reported citing a police officer.

"The friend left her alone when three unidentified men arrived there. The men snatched her phone and took her to a jungle, where they raped her. She was threatened with dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident," the officer was quoted as saying. The accused also demanded money from the medic to return her mobile phone, he said.

The statement of the student has been recorded, the officer said.

"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.

The state health department also sought a report from the medical college, a senior official told the news agency.

National panel in action too

A team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) is, meanwhile, headed to 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, taking aim at the Trinamool Congress government led by CM Mamata Banerjee.