According to the survivor’s father, she had gone out for food. Police have arrested three suspects and placed them in ten-day custody while investigation proceeds. The Odisha Congress has also demanded swift justice.
Kolkata:West Bengal police on Sunday, October 12, allegedly prevented Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) representatives from visiting a gang rape survivor in Durgapur. The BJP members confronted law enforcement at the hospital’s locked entrance, questioning why their access was being restricted. Among those turned away was BJP leader Locket Chatterjee, who expressed concerns about the state government’s investigation. She suggested that similar to the RG Kar College and Hospital case, which saw massive public protests before being transferred to the CBI, this incident might follow the same pattern. The three individuals accused in this case have been placed in ten days of police custody.
BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul issued a sharp rebuke of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement about women’s nighttime movements, drawing a provocative comparison between the West Bengal administration and Afghanistan’s Taliban regime. “We’re witnessing a situation where Mamata Banerjee claims the Durgapur victim left at midnight, but CCTV evidence indicates she went to collect food around 8 PM. Stop blaming the victim and the institution,” she stated and questioned whether the CM believed women doctors on night shifts, nurses, IT professionals, and service industry workers should all stay home after midnight. The MLA further alleged that the government protects accused individuals who are TMC party workers, suggesting they’ll be used for electoral purposes in the 2026 elections.
Why did the Controversy Escalate?
The controversy intensified after Mamata Banerjee commented that female students should exercise self-protection and avoid going out at night, referencing the forest area near the college. She drew comparisons to a recent incident in Odisha involving three girls and questioned how the student came to be outside at 12.30 am. According to the medical student’s father, she stepped out with a classmate to get something to eat. However, two or three other men arrived and raped her. The classmate, he said, “abandoned her and fled.””At 10 PM, her friend called us and said that your daughter had been raped. We live in Jaleshwar. My daughter was studying here. Yesterday, one of her classmates took her out on the pretext of getting something to eat, but when two or three other men arrived, he abandoned her and fled. They raped her… This incident occurred between 8:00 and 9:00 PM. The hostel was far away, and she had come here to eat. The security arrangements are not sufficient… Such a serious incident occurred, but no action has been taken. There is no system here, no response…” the student’s father told reporters.
Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate DCP Abhishek Gupta said that the investigation was being carried out according to the protocol. Speaking to reporters, Gupta said, “Three persons have been arrested so far. They have been forwarded to the Court today. Further investigation is ongoing, and everything is going according to the protocol. All investigation is taking place…” Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das condemned the incident and appealed to the state government to provide immediate justice to the victim. “My request to the West Bengal government is that immediate justice be provided to that girl from Odisha… I strongly condemn this incident and demand swift action from the government…The Odisha government should seriously discuss this matter with the West Bengal government…” Das told ANI.
(With ANI inputs)