Four men have been taken into custody by West Bengal police in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 23-year-old second-year MBBS student from Odisha. The assault, which occurred late last Friday night, at a forested areas, near a private medical college in Durgapur, has prompted growing concerns over women's safety.
The incident unfolded around 8 p.m. on October 10, when the victim, a resident of Jaleswar in Odisha, left the premises of IQ City Medical College and Hospital in Durgapur's Bidhan Nagar area with a male classmate to grab a late dinner. According to police sources, the pair was soon followed by a group of three local men who confronted them shortly after they exited the campus gates, as captured on security footage timestamped at around 7:58 p.m. The attackers seized the opportunity to drag the woman approximately 500 meters to a nearby forested stretch, where they assaulted her repeatedly. Authorities believe a total of five individuals may have been involved, with two additional men joining the initial trio during the ordeal.
During the attack, the perpetrators threatened the victim's life to silence her cries, robbed her of her mobile phone and about ₹200 in cash, and later contacted one of her friends using the stolen device to demand a ₹3,000 ransom for its return. The male companion, who has been detained for questioning, reportedly fled the scene and returned to the campus alone around 8:42 p.m., leaving briefly again before reappearing with the traumatised student near 9:30 p.m., according to the press statement issued by iQ medical college. The victim's classmates alerted her family soon after, prompting her father to file a formal complaint with local authorities the following day.
Police acted rapidly, launching a multi-agency operation that included drone surveillance over the Bijra village vicinity and forensic examination of the crime scene. By Sunday, three suspects - Apu Bauri (21), Sheikh Firdous (23), and Sheikh Riyazuddin (31), were apprehended and remanded to police custody for 10 days by a local court. A fourth individual, identified as Sheikh Nasimuddin, was nabbed later that evening and scheduled for court appearance on Monday. Investigators recovered the victim's phone from the accused and are probing potential links to robbery motives, though the primary focus remains on the sexual assault charges.
The young woman, currently receiving medical treatment at a local facility, is reported to be in stable but distressed condition, unable to walk unassisted due to her injuries. Her father, who rushed to Durgapur upon learning of the attack, expressed profound anguish and resolve to relocate her to an Odisha-based medical institution for the remainder of her studies, citing fears for her security in West Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee labeled the episode "shocking" during a media address, pledging zero tolerance and vowing that "no accused will be spared." She directed the state health department to demand a detailed report from the college administration, emphasising accountability for student welfare on private campuses. However, her additional comments urging female hostel residents to avoid late-night outings and prioritise self-protection have drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures, including BJP leaders, who accused her of implying victim fault and highlighted deteriorating law enforcement under her administration.
