‘Abandoned by friend’: MBBS student’s mother shares chilling details in Durgapur rape case

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West Bengal Police on Sunday arrested three men in connection with the alleged gang-rape of a 23-year-old MBBS student outside her college campus in Durgapur on Friday night.

The woman, who had stepped out with a friend to get food on Friday night, is now in stable condition and is being supported by her mother. The identities of the three arrested accused were yet to be disclosed by the police.

According to a report by The Hindustan Times, the student's mother, in her complaint, has alleged that her daughter was “abandoned” by the friend on Friday night, and later dragged into a forest by some men, who she said threatened to kill her daughter if she “dared to shout”. Before fleeing the scene, the unidentified men took her mobile phone and ₹5,000 in cash.

A four-member delegation from the National Commission for Women (NCW) met the student at the hospital on Saturday and requested a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) from the West Bengal authorities within five days.

The parents arrived in Durgapur on Saturday morning after being informed by their daughter's classmates. In their police complaint, they named the student who accompanied the medical student and some of his associates, though the “associates” could not be identified.

Following the incident, students of the private medical college staged protests inside the campus on Saturday, citing inaction and silence from the college authorities.

Durgapur rape case: MBBS student in stable condition
The MBBS student, who hails from Jaleshwar in Odisha, remains admitted to the hospital. Gynaecologist and NCW member Archana Majumdar was quoted by HT as saying: “She is in a state of shock. Her condition is stable. She has suffered some injuries. This is very unfortunate and alarming. I am shocked.”

“We have arrested three persons in connection with the case. They are being questioned. This is a very sensitive case and we will give out further details later,” the police officer told news agency PTI.

The survivor's mother recounted the traumatic incident, saying her daughter had gone out for food at her friend’s request when three men began following them. “Her friend abandoned her and fled. My daughter also started running but couldn’t trace her friend,” she was quoted as saying.

'She was threatened with death'

She added that the three men took advantage of her daughter being alone and dragged her to a nearby forest. “Two others then joined them. One of them committed the crime and snatched her mobile phone. She was threatened with death if she tried to scream,” the survivor’s mother said.

The student's father as quoted by HT as saying: “We received a call from her classmates around 9.30 pm. Her classmates informed us that she was raped and that we should immediately come to Durgapur. We reached the campus on Saturday morning. She is not well and is admitted in the hospital. The miscreants demanded money to return her mobile.”

The police said, “We are probing all angles. A few persons have been detained for questioning. Footage from CCTV along the route and nearby areas is being scanned.”

Students stage protest, health dept seeks report from college

Students of the medical college who staged protests over the inaction sent a memorandum to the principal, saying, “Despite the incident occurring near the college premises, there was no immediate FIR filed, no prompt public statement issued, and no emergency safety response activated. This negligence and inaction from the authorities amounts to betrayal of student trust and moral failure of the institution.”

The state health department has sought a report from the private medical college regarding the incident.

Political dispute

The case has also sparked a political dispute. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Suvendu Adhikari spoke with the victim’s father and promised help. He said, “BJP workers led by legislators have gathered at the police station. There have been no arrests till Saturday afternoon. No one is safe in the state’s government or private medical colleges. Police are interested in extorting money and installing flags of the ruling TMC. Women are not safe. The culprits are not getting exemplary punishments. The chief minister speaks on everything but is now silent.”

Responding to the political allegations, state women and child development minister Shashi Panja said in a video message, “Such crimes against women shouldn’t be politicised. But unfortunately, the BJP sees such incidents through a political lens. The chief minister doesn’t compromise when there is some injustice against women. We have to wait for the investigation to be completed. BJP shouldn’t try to take political advantage out of this. Crime against women in BJP-ruled states is also very unfortunate and should never be politicised.”

Odisha CM condems incident, speaks to gang rape survivor's father

Odisha Chief Minister condemned the incident and urged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure strict legal action against the perpetrators. “I have instructed senior officials to contact the West Bengal government and take necessary steps. All possible assistance will be provided to the victim's family on behalf of the Odisha government,” he said.

The CM alo spoke over the phone with the father of the woman hailing from the state who was gang-raped in West Bengal's Durgapur and assured him of all support from the state government.