NEW DELHI: Three persons were arrested on Sunday for their alleged involvement in the gang rape of a medical student in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district, police said. The survivor, currently under treatment and on bedrest, has recorded her statement with the police. Her father said to news agency ANI, “She is unable to walk and is on bedrest.”
He added “The Chief Minister, DG, SP, and Collector are all helping us a lot and regularly enquiring about her health… I have requested the Chief Minister to let us take my daughter away from here to Odisha, to a safer place because here, her safety is at risk. We have requested her to let us take her away.” Police said the identities of the accused are being withheld as the case is sensitive. “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,” an officer said. The incident has triggered political tension between the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition parties, with Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi urging West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to ensure swift justice. According to the complaint, the assault took place between 8.30 pm and 9 pm, around 1.5 km from the college campus. The accused allegedly snatched the victim’s phone and demanded money before dragging her to a secluded area and assaulting her. The girl’s classmate, who had left the spot briefly, returned to find her injured and took her back to the hostel. College authorities said both students had left campus around 7.58 pm and returned at 9.29 pm. “Later it came to light that while outside the campus, the female student endured an assault, an occurrence she herself claimed and reported,” a college note stated. The victim’s father said he received a call about the incident around 10 pm and reached Durgapur early the next morning. “It was a mistake to send my daughter here to study MBBS. This incident has caused her extreme mental and physical trauma,” he said. Students have begun a sit-in on campus, demanding an impartial investigation.(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault.)
About the Author
