West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday commented on the recent gang rape of a 23-year-old medical student near a private hospital in Durgapur, stating that girls should not be allowed out at night. 

She emphasised that the private medical college was responsible for ensuring the safety of its students.

Especially, a girl child at night-time shouldn't be allowed to come outside. They have to protect themselves also," Banerjee said, while describing the incident as "shocking." She added, "No one will be excused."

The Chief Minister also questioned why her government is singled out whenever a rape occurs, referring to a case nearly a month ago in Odisha's Puri, where a student was gang-raped. "What action is being taken by the Odisha government?" she asked.

The incident in Durgapur took place on Friday evening when the second-year MBBS student was attacked in a secluded area behind the hospital, located approximately 170 kilometres from Kolkata. 

The victim's parents, who had rushed from Odisha, lodged an FIR with the New Township police station. The father told news agency ANI, "They could kill her here any moment. That's why we want to take her back to Odisha. Trust has been lost. We don't want her to stay in Bengal. She will pursue her education in Odisha." He added that his daughter is "in pain" and "bedridden."

Police have arrested three individuals — Sk Riaz Uddin, Sk Firdoush and Appu — in connection with the case, and another person has been detained on suspicion of involvement. 

The three accused were traced through the mobile phone tower dumping method. More people could be involved in the crime, and searches are underway," a police official told PTI. Authorities are also investigating the involvement of the survivor's friend who accompanied her outside the college.

Union Minister and BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar criticised Mamata Banerjee for shifting the blame to the private college. 

Writing on X, he said, "The Chief Minister cannot possibly evade responsibility for the absolute collapse of law and order in West Bengal. Shockingly, even now, she has chosen to shift the blame onto the private medical college!"

This incident comes barely a year after the infamous RG Kar medical college case, raising renewed concerns over safety and law enforcement in the state.

#Agencies