Durgapur, West Bengal – October 14, 2025 – West Bengal Police have arrested all five alleged perpetrators in the shocking gang rape of a 23-year-old second-year MBBS student from Odisha at a private medical college in Durgapur, Paschim Bardhaman district, bringing a swift end to the manhunt that began just days after the assault on October 10. The victim, currently bedridden and unable to walk, remains under medical care as her family, gripped by fear for her life, demands her immediate transfer to Odisha for continued treatment and studies, decrying a "complete loss of trust" in Bengal's safety for women.
Timeline of the Assault and Swift Police Response
The ordeal unfolded on the night of Friday, October 10, when the survivor, hailing from Jaleswar in Odisha's Balasore district, stepped out of her college hostel around 12:30 a.m. with a male friend for a casual outing. According to police, the pair was accosted by a group of men near a forested area adjacent to the campus, where the woman was forcibly separated from her companion, dragged to a secluded spot, and subjected to a brutal gang rape by multiple assailants. The male friend, who attempted to intervene, was also assaulted and is now under police questioning as part of the investigation.
The victim managed to escape and return to the hostel the following morning, where she confided in fellow students before alerting authorities. Three suspects were nabbed by the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate on Sunday, October 12, following raids in the vicinity of the crime scene. By Monday, October 13, two more were apprehended, completing the arrests. All five—identified as Sheikh Safiqul (local Durgapur resident), Sheikh Nasiruddin, Sheikh Reajuddin, Firdos Sheikh, and Apu Bauri—were produced before a Durgapur court and remanded to 10 days of police custody. Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhisekh Gupta confirmed the breakthroughs, stating the investigation is ongoing with forensic teams scouring the site for evidence.
Opposition BJP leaders have alleged that Sheikh Nasiruddin has "close links" to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), intensifying accusations of political patronage in the crime.
Victim's Agonizing Condition and Family's Desperate Plea
The young doctor's father, a daily wage earner from Odisha, arrived in Durgapur on October 13 to be by his daughter's side, only to find her in severe physical and emotional distress. "My daughter is in immense pain. She can't walk; she's bedridden. I'm terrified for her safety here—they could kill her any moment," he told reporters, his voice breaking as he clutched a photo of his only child. Citing eroded faith in West Bengal's law and order, he vowed to relocate her immediately: "We don't want her to stay in Bengal anymore. Trust has been shattered. She'll complete her MBBS in Odisha."
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who personally spoke with the family, condemned the assault as "highly condemnable and painful" and has facilitated her potential admission to a state medical college. West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose also met the family on October 13, pledging "stern action" after gauging their concerns firsthand: "I want to know what happened, the victim's feelings, and her parents'. I'll act decisively."
Political Firestorm: Victim-Blaming Allegations Rock Mamata Government
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who oversees the Home portfolio, termed the incident "shocking" during a public address on October 11, vowing a "zero tolerance" policy and assuring that "no accused will be spared." However, her subsequent remarks advising "especially girl children" against venturing out at night—and urging private colleges to monitor hostels more stringently—ignited a fierce backlash for perceived victim-blaming. "They have to protect themselves also. Police can't watch every house," she added, later claiming her words were "deliberately distorted" for "nasty politics."
TMC MP Saugata Roy doubled down, suggesting restrictions on women's movements on campuses and deeming it "undesirable" for a medical student to be out at midnight—a comment that drew universal condemnation. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar labeled it "insensitive and insulting," accusing the TMC of shirking accountability for women's safety failures. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who staged a sit-in protest in Durgapur on October 13 and met the victim's father, echoed the fury: "This is a grim reminder of women's plight in Bengal. Mamata Banerjee hasn't even visited the family—her comments re-victimize the survivor."
Protests erupted across Kolkata and Durgapur, with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists burning effigies of Banerjee outside Kolkata National Medical College and demanding her resignation. "Rising sexual assaults in educational institutions under TMC rule is unforgivable," ABVP leaders chanted, linking it to broader failures. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh countered that arrests were prioritized and dismissed the row as "petty politics" over a "national problem."
State Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee urged restraint, noting police probes were underway.
Echoes of RG Kar: A Pattern of Horror in Bengal's Medical Fraternity
This case, eerily reminiscent of the August 2024 rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's R.G. Kar Medical College—which sparked nationwide outrage and Supreme Court intervention—has reignited scrutiny on women's safety in West Bengal's healthcare sector. Post-RG Kar, the state issued (and later withdrew) guidelines minimizing night duties for female medics, but critics argue systemic lapses persist, particularly in private institutions.
As the investigation deepens—with one suspect still under detention and forensic analysis pending—the survivor's fight for justice mirrors a larger battle against impunity. Her father's plea resonates: "We came to Bengal for education, not this nightmare." In a state under fire, the coming days could determine if words turn to reforms—or more rhetoric.
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