The brutal gang rape in Durgapur, West Bengal, has shaken the nation. An Odisha-based medical student was brutally assaulted by several individuals outside the college campus on Friday evening. As the news broke, Durgapur police launched a swift investigation. So far, three suspects have been arrested while two remain fugitives.
Meanwhile, Archana Majumdar, a member of the National Commission for Women (NCW), expressed doubts regarding the victim's friend's involvement. After visiting the victim in the hospital, she claimed that the friend had coaxed the medical student to step out of college. She stated, "The victim's friend is now also under scrutiny; he insisted she accompany him outside."
Furthermore, she revealed, that as soon as the suspects cornered the victim outside the campus, her friend fled the scene. The police must delve deeper into this angle since initial evidence hints at the friend's key role in the incident. The victim's father, arriving from Odisha, also questioned her so-called friend's role in the incident.
He said, "As soon as the culprits surrounded my daughter, her friend ran away. My daughter is in excruciating pain. She cannot even walk. She's bedridden in the hospital. We fear for her safety and worry they might harm her. We wish to bring her back to Odisha. Our trust in Bengal is shaken. She can study in Odisha."
On Sunday, Durgapur police and forensic teams arrived at the crime scene, meticulously collecting documents, samples, and crucial evidence. To preserve the evidence, considerable police force has been deployed across the area. Meanwhile, a team from the Odisha government also arrived in Durgapur, hoping to meet the victim, but they were denied permission, resulting in a fruitless return.
The Odisha team included Balasore’s Additional District Magistrate (ADM) and Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), who arrived in vehicles bearing Odisha number plates, accompanied by three officials. However, they received no cooperation from hospital and college authorities. Chairperson of the Odisha State Women's Commission, Sowama Mohanty, condemned the heinous act.
Source: aajtak
On Sunday, she remarked, "This is not just an atrocity against Odisha's daughter but a disgrace to the entire country." She mentioned that Odisha’s government wrote promptly to the West Bengal government for swift action right after the incident emerged. The Chief Minister personally reached out to the victim's family, carefully monitoring the situation and communicating with the concerned officials.
She further stated, "Our team from Balasore was dispatched to Durgapur to offer the victim every possible assistance. Unfortunately, they faced a lack of support." Mohanty accused the Trinamool Congress government of poor law enforcement, highlighting that "36 hours post the incident, three suspects were arrested, while two remain at large – a failure of administration."
She continued, "I hear some suspects belong to minority communities, but the real issue here is not caste or religion; it's about justice and women's safety. The remaining two suspects should be captured immediately, and all responsible punished severely." Mohanty also declared her intention to visit the crime scene, meet the victim, and check on her health.
Source: aajtak
Meanwhile, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed his outrage over the heinous crime. He wrote on social media, "This incident is abhorrent and painful. I wish the victim a speedy recovery. Society should have no room for such atrocities against women. I urge West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for a fair investigation and swift justice."
Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das also vehemently condemned the act, stating, "I denounce the gang rape of an Odia woman in West Bengal. There must be immediate severe action against the perpetrators." He instructed his women's wing to actively pursue justice for the victim and provide her necessary aid wherever possible.
