Durgapur: Three persons have been arrested in connection with the gang-rape of a second year medical student within the hospital premises in Durgapur. A search is on for two more accused, the police said.
The student, from Jaleswar in Odisha, had stepped out for a munch with a male friend on Friday evening when she was allegedly dragged to a secluded location behind the hospital building and gang-raped.
The incident occurred at a private medical college near Shobhapur in the industrial hub of Durgapur, about 170 km from Kolkata.
The survivor is now in hospital. Doctors have said that she is responding well to treatment.
The police have not disclosed the names of the accused and have termed the case ‘sensitive’. They have also urged people not to engage in speculation and spread rumours through social media platforms.
According to sources, several people, including the male friend of the survivor, who was accompanying her, are being interrogated. Security arrangements at the hospital are also under scrutiny.
The case brings back to mind the gruesome rape and murder of a PG Intern at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in 2024.
The West Bengal Doctors’ Front (WBDF) has, meanwhile, condemned the crime, calling it another “chilling reminder” that women remain unsafe even within educational institutions. The group demanded justice for the survivor and urged the Chief Justice of India to take cognisance of the matter and order a judicial inquiry.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi also expressed deep anguish over the incident. “I have instructed senior officials to contact the West Bengal government and take necessary steps. All possible assistance will be provided to the victim’s family on behalf of the Odisha government,” he posted on X, while calling on West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to take *“exemplary action”* against those responsible.
The matter has resulted in a political slugfest with the BJP launching a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal.
“West Bengal is not safe for women. Until the TMC government is held accountable, women across the state will continue to live in fear. Mamata Banerjee must go in 2026,” BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya wrote on X.
West Bengal minister and Trinamool Congress leader Shashi Panja hit back, accusing the BJP of politicising a sensitive issue. “Is there any place for politics here? What about the girls in Odisha who set themselves on fire? Where were these voices when Manipur burned or when gold medal-winning women protested at Jantar Mantar? Tell the BJP to shut down its shop in Bengal. The police have already begun the investigation,” she said.
