A private medical college in DurgapurThere is a lot of uproar in Bengal over the gang rape of a student.The government is also under political siege on the gang rape case. So far five people have been arrested in this case. The leaders are also embroiled in controversies regarding their statements on this matter.Commenting on the alleged gang rape of a medical student in Durgapur, senior Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Monday said that police cannot be present everywhere, hence women should be careful. A day before this, reacting to the same issue, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had advised girl students not to go out of the house late at night, for which she faced criticism.
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Police on Monday arrested two more persons in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 23-year-old student of a private medical college in Durgapur in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district. With this the number of people arrested in this case increased to five. This information was provided by the police The incident has sparked a political controversy in West Bengal, with opposition leader Subhendu Adhikari alleging an attempt to destroy evidence related to the crime.
The officer also claimed that the arrests were nothing more than an attempt to pull the plug. “Two more arrests have been made,” Abhishek Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, told PTI. Along with this, on the basis of the complaint lodged by the student, all the five accused have been taken into custody.
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The second year student of a private medical college in Durgapur hails from Balasore district of Odisha. She was allegedly gang-raped on Friday night when she had gone out of the college campus to have dinner with a friend. According to police sources, the student had initially given a brief written statement of three to four lines to the college authorities, stating that she and her friend were strolling outside the campus when suddenly a group of people surrounded them and then attacked them.
This statement was later sent to the police, following which an FIR was registered and investigation initiated. Based on the student’s complaint, police determined that the incident occurred between 8 pm and 8.45 pm on Friday. Investigators said three men initially surrounded the student and snatched her phone when she tried to call her friends for help. She said that later two more persons joined them and all five together allegedly raped her.
According to police sources, the accused also offered Rs 5,000 to the student to leave the place quietly. The male friend who was with the victim is currently in police custody for questioning. Investigators said his activities and conduct on the night of the incident raised suspicion. The victim’s father has also filed a separate complaint and according to him, when the accused surrounded the student, her friend fled from the spot.
Police sources said investigators are probing why he did not inform other students or seek help from the college after escaping. The three accused, arrested earlier, were produced in a Durgapur court on Sunday and sent to 10-day police custody. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has assured strict action against those involved. Banerjee also holds the state home department.
Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW) chairperson Sovana Mohanty also left for West Bengal from Bhubaneswar on Monday to meet the medical student, her parents and hold discussions with the local police. Subhendu Adhikari targeted the Mamata Banerjee administration when a BJP team under her leadership was also stopped from meeting doctors.
BJP leader Adhikari said, I have spoken to the parents and they have said that the hospital has not handed them the medical report of their daughter. Even the parents were not allowed inside the hospital, leave alone us. This is a clear attempt to destroy evidence related to the crime.
He said, “These arrests are just a show.” The accused will be released on bail after 15-20 days. Once these people are out of sight and people forget the crime, it will be easy for the police to do the same.” Leader of Opposition Adhikari also alleged that one of the accused, Sheikh Naseeruddin, identified as a contractual employee in the Durgapur Municipal Corporation, has direct links to the ruling Trinamool Congress.
“The father of the accused is a local Trinamool Congress official and the suspect himself is associated with the local civic body,” the officer said. We demand a thorough investigation into the involvement of the ruling party in this heinous crime. The Chief Minister cannot escape her responsibility.” Responding to the allegations, TMC IT cell in-charge Debangshu Bhattacharya said the claim does not in any way indict the party.
Bhattacharya said, “Even if we assume that a relative of the accused is associated with TMC, then what? Our party’s vote percentage in Bengal is around 50 percent. The simple mathematics is that one out of every two citizens of this state is associated with our party in some way or the other. There will be as many innocent citizens as there are bad people among our supporters. What matters is that the police here do not care about party affiliation. If anyone is accused of a crime, he will be arrested, irrespective of which party he belongs to.” He alleged that if this had happened in a BJP-ruled state like Uttar Pradesh, the accused would not only not have been arrested but would have also been honored with flower garlands for his act.
On Subhendu Adhikari’s question as to why the Chief Minister has not yet met the victims, party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that Mamata Banerjee is currently in North Bengal to oversee the relief operations of the flood victims. “He does not need advice from the BJP on who to visit and when. Now the priority is to catch the culprits and provide speedy justice and this is what is being done. Rape is a social evil and it happens all over the country including BJP ruled states. BJP is just trying to take advantage of the difficult situation.