Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi spoke to the second-year medical student, who was allegedly gangraped in West Bengal’s Durgapur, over the phone and assured her of all possible support.
“Don’t worry, the Odisha government fully stands with you. We will look after everything. Do not lose patience. Face the situation with courage,” the Chief Minister told the young woman, who is currently under treatment at a private hospital in the neighbouring state.
While wishing her a speedy recovery, Majhi also assured her of assistance to continue her studies and promised strong action against the accused. “Speak about your issues to our people who have gone to Durgapur to meet you,” the CM said.
Majhi said that he would enquire about the possibility to get her transferred to any medical college in Odisha.
The survivor, a second-year MBBS student at a private medical college, was allegedly gang-raped by at least five persons on Friday evening while out for dinner with a male friend.
Speaking to her mother, the Chief Minister said that Odisha would continue its efforts to ensure that the perpetrators receive swift and exemplary punishment. “Since she is a student of a private medical college, I will have to explore possibilities on how to get it (transfer) done. I have spoken to officials to enquire into it,” he said.
He asked her if they had conveyed their concerns to West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose, who had visited them earlier in the day. “The Odisha government will exert pressure at every level to ensure that the culprits are punished severely for this heinous crime,” Majhi told the mother.
The Chief Minister also discussed the matter with the Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW) chairperson, Shovana Mohanty, advising her to maintain contact with the West Bengal government and make efforts to provide justice to the victim.
Earlier, the Chief Minister had also spoken with the survivor’s father, who is also in West bengal.