Durgapur, October 13: The West Bengal Police on Monday arrested two more persons in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 23-year-old medical student in Durgapur, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five.
According to police sources, the survivor, who hails from Jaleswar in Odisha’s Balasore district, was allegedly gang-raped on Friday night when she went out with a friend to have dinner near her private medical college. Three persons were arrested on Sunday, and two more were taken into custody after further investigation.
Reacting to the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had termed the incident “shocking” and reiterated her government’s “zero tolerance” policy towards crimes against women. However, her appeal urging women not to venture out alone late at night sparked sharp criticism from opposition parties and women’s rights groups, who accused her of victim-blaming.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that one of the accused is affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). “The government is trying to protect its own,” he claimed.
Reacting to the charge, TMC spokesperson Debanshu Bhattacharya said: “Even if one of the accused is a party worker, it must be acknowledged that the TMC has zero tolerance for such crimes. Had this incident occurred in a BJP-ruled state, the accused would have been garlanded instead.”
The incident has also drawn strong reactions from neighbouring Odisha, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi urging his West Bengal counterpart to ensure the “strictest punishment” for the culprits.
Meanwhile, Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW) chairperson Sovana Mohanty is scheduled to visit West Bengal to meet the survivor, assess her health condition, interact with her parents, and hold discussions with the local police.
Police have said further investigation is underway and additional arrests have not been ruled out.
