Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Kolkata, Oct 11 (IANS) West Bengal Police on Saturday detained a friend of a second-year medical student from Odisha who was allegedly gang-raped outside a private medical college and hospital in Durgapur in West Burdwan district. The officers provided this information.
Meanwhile, the state health department has sought reports from private medical college authorities.
Principal Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam said the report is expected by Sunday morning and further action will be taken based on its findings.
According to the police, the student had come out of the campus with a male friend for evening snack around 8.30 pm on Friday night when a group of youths riding motorcycles started following them and making lewd comments.
The men allegedly chased the friend, dragged the student to a wooded area behind the campus and gang-raped her. They also snatched away his mobile phone and threw it away.
The male friend returned from the college along with others and found the injured student on the ground. He was admitted to a local hospital. Police confirmed that she was a resident of Jaleshwar in Odisha.
Following the complaint lodged by the college, the Durgapur New Township police had to launch an investigation, but no arrests have been made so far.
Abhishek Gupta, DC (East), Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, said, “The investigation is ongoing. If new information comes in, we will inform the public. Given the sensitive nature of the case, we are proceeding cautiously taking all aspects into consideration.”
The victim’s family has expressed concern about her safety. Her father told the media, “My daughter is not safe here. I will not let her pursue further studies here. I will take her home.”
Meanwhile, students protested inside the college campus accusing the authorities of negligence in ensuring security.
Local CPI(M) workers also protested outside the campus, while BJP leaders also condemned the incident.
National Commission for Women (NCW) member Archana Majumdar expressed outrage, linking the incident to wider systemic failures in West Bengal.
“Incidents of sexual assault and rape are on the rise because criminals are not caught or punished immediately. We have not seen rapists or murderers here facing final punishment. Justice is being delayed because of some invisible hands,” she said.
Majumdar was referring to the RG Kar Medical College case of August last year, in which the body of a postgraduate trainee was found in a seminar hall, leading to nationwide protests.
The sole convict, Sanjay Roy, was sentenced to life imprisonment, but the CBI is yet to complete its investigation into the larger conspiracy behind the crime.
–IANS
SH/SKP