The West Bengal police have arrested three men in connection with the gang-rape of a medical student near a private hospital in Durgapur, police sources confirmed.
Two other suspects are still at large, prompting a manhunt. The victim, a second-year MBBS student at a private medical college near Shobhapur in Durgapur, about 170 km from Kolkata, was attacked late Friday evening behind the hospital building. The survivor, originally from Jaleswar in Odisha, had stepped out of the campus around 8:30 pm with a male friend when she was allegedly dragged to a secluded spot and assaulted.
Police immediately launched an investigation following the alert. The student is currently under medical supervision after being admitted to a hospital for examination. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage, questioning campus staff, and interrogating the male friend who was accompanying her.
The case has drawn parallels with the 2024 RG Kar Medical College tragedy, where a junior doctor was raped and murdered, sparking widespread protests across West Bengal. The West Bengal Doctors’ Front (WBDF) condemned the crime, calling it a “chilling reminder” that women remain unsafe even in educational institutions. The group demanded justice for the survivor and urged the Chief Justice of India to intervene and order a judicial inquiry.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi expressed deep concern and said that the state government would provide all necessary assistance to the victim’s family. He also called on West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to take “exemplary action” against the perpetrators.
Political reactions quickly followed. The BJP criticized the TMC government for failing to maintain law and order. BJP IT chief Amit Malviya tweeted, “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.”
In response, TMC minister Shashi Panja accused the BJP of politicizing a sensitive case. “Is there any place for politics here? The police have already begun the investigation. Let the BJP stop exploiting incidents to score political points,” she said.
Dimple Yadav, Samajwadi Party MP, also weighed in, pointing out that crimes against women are not limited to West Bengal, citing rising incidents in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and calling for governments to take responsibility for societal failures.
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