October 14, 2025

Kolkata is shaken after a brutal gang rape of an Odisha medical student in Durgapur. Five men have now been arrested, including two new ones caught today. The latest arrest is Sheikh Nasiruddin, 24, who is said to be the mastermind. Nasiruddin works temporarily at the Durgapur Municipality and will appear in court along with another accused, Sk. Shafiqul. The three others – Sekh Reajuddin (31), Apu Bauri (21), and Firdos Sekh (23) – remain in 10-day police custody. The horrifying incident happened late Friday night when the second-year medical student went out for food with a friend near a private medical college. Police are also looking into the friend’s role. The survivor belongs to Jaleswar in Odisha. The Odisha State Commission for Women has rushed to Durgapur, while forensic experts have examined the crime scene—a forested area near the college. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee promises a tough response, saying, “In Bengal, we have zero tolerance for violence. I have instructed the police to take stringent action.” But politics are boiling over. BJP Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya sharply criticized Mamata Banerjee and TMC MP Saugata Roy for telling women to avoid going out at night. He said, “After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s regressive statement asking women to stay indoors, it is senior TMC MP Saugata Roy who echoes the same view, suggesting that police cannot be deployed everywhere. So, what then explains the rape and murder of the lady doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, who was brutalised inside the college lecture room? She had not even stepped outside. It is a government college, and therefore under Mamata Banerjee’s direct watch.” Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also slammed the government. He said Mamata Banerjee should have visited Durgapur herself. The BJP is holding a protest (dharna) against the crime. Adhikari claimed the victim’s father was not given the medical report and was kept from the hospital’s doctors—a grave mistake. He warned the arrests are only a show and accused the main accused Nasiruddin of close ties with the ruling party. Malviya added fire on X (formerly Twitter), saying the Chief Minister lied about the timing when the student left the college. Mamata had said it was 12:30 a.m., but the college records show otherwise. Malviya said, “The girl student, a Dalit, was not gang raped inside the college campus. Hence, the responsibility for ensuring her safety rests with the police and state administration. The Chief Minister tried to shift the blame onto the medical college.” Meanwhile, National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar stressed that "The safety of women is paramount, and the Commission is ensuring that justice is delivered swiftly." She added that women’s safety should never be conditional on rules like hostel curfews. This case has sparked outrage—will the justice system and politicians rise to the occasion, or will safety remain a distant dream for women in Bengal?

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Tags: Odisha medical student, Gang-rape, Durgapur, West bengal, Mamata banerjee, Bjp,