Odisha medical student gang-raped outside college campus in West Bengal’s Durgapur

A second-year medical student from Odisha was allegedly gang-raped near a private medical college in Durgapur in Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal on Friday night. Sources reported that the student, hailing from Jaleswar in Balasore district, is currently undergoing treatment, and her condition is said to be critical.

According to preliminary police reports, the survivor, a second-year MBBS student at a private medical college near Shobhapur in Durgapur, stepped out of the campus with a male friend.

The two were reportedly heading to eat street food when a group of four to five men intercepted them near the college gate. The men allegedly dragged the student to a secluded spot behind the hospital building and committed the assault.

The survivor’s male friend reportedly informed the girl’s family and brought her back to the hostel after the incident.

Police Investigation Underway

Reports added that Paschim Bardhaman police have started an investigation. Sources said investigators are also examining CCTV footage from the vicinity and verifying statements from witnesses, college security staff, and the student’s friend.

It is worth noting that the medical college authorities have not issued a public statement yet.

Following the incident, unrest prevailed on the campus as scores of students staged a demonstration demanding immediate arrests of the accused.

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National Women’s Commission Takes Cognisance

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the case. A special team has been dispatched to Durgapur to meet the survivor and monitor the progress of the police probe.

The incident has drawn strong reactions from women’s rights groups, who have demanded immediate arrests and enhanced campus security across private medical institutions in West Bengal.

The assault has revived memories of the 2024 rape and murder of a postgraduate student at Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Medical College, a case that sparked nationwide outrage and calls for reform in campus security.

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