A terrifying event in Durgapur has shaken not only the medical community but also ordinary citizens. On the night of October 10, 2025, a second-year MBBS student from Odisha was abducted and gang-raped by a group of men in a forested area near her college campus.

This crime comes in the shadow of the earlier brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College, intensifying calls for improved safety. Multiple sources, including OpIndia and NDTV, have reported this incident, and authorities, local media, and the victim’s family are all now deeply involved.

At about 8:30 PM on that fateful Friday, the 19-year-old student, originally from Jaleswar, Odisha, left the IQ City Medical College Hospital campus in Durgapur with a male classmate. According to her father, the friend—named Wasif Ali in reports—had asked her to step out to grab phuchka (golgappas). They walked along Mohanbagan Avenue, a lonely stretch beside Durgapur Government College, flanked by dense jungle and reputed to be deserted at night.

As they approached the college gate, five unknown men suddenly confronted them. The men harassed the students and then turned violent, threatening the male companion with death if he intervened. Fear overtook him; he fled, leaving the young woman alone with her assailants. The attackers physically seized her and dragged her into a nearby forested area behind the hospital, away from any sight of other people. In the darkness, the men allegedly forced her down and raped her one after another.

During this cruel assault, the attackers took the victim’s mobile phone and tried to extort money. Reports vary: while NDTV says they demanded ₹5,000 in exchange for the phone, OpIndia puts the figure at ₹3,000. After the rape, they threatened to kill her if she screamed or disclosed the attack. Then, under cover of darkness, they fled.

Rescue, Medical Care, and Family’s Reaction

Once the assailants had departed, the student lay alone and wounded. After some time, her friend returned, found her in a critical state, and promptly took her to the college’s affiliated hospital for emergency care.

In the early hours of October 11, doctors reported her condition as serious but stable. However, some officials later said she was critical but out of immediate danger. She remains under close observation at the hospital as police were notified and began their inquiry.

Back in Odisha, at about 10 PM on Friday, the victim’s parents got a call. “At 10 PM, her friend called us and said that your daughter has been raped,” her father said later. Shocked and distraught, the family left from Jaleswar and reached Durgapur the next morning to be with their daughter. Her mother told reporters that her daughter had gone out on her friend’s request, and confirmed multiple men had followed and attacked her after the friend fled.

FIR, Police Action, and Initial Clues

By Saturday morning (October 11), the family lodged a formal FIR with New Township Police Station under the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, charging gang-rape and assault. Several teams were mobilized promptly to handle different aspects of the investigation. A senior police officer told reporters, “We have received a complaint and an FIR has been registered. Investigation is going on. Our teams are already out. It is too early to say anything.”

From the victim’s statement and spot inspection, police pieced together key points. They confirmed she left campus between 8:00 and 8:30 PM with her friend, and shortly afterward, a group of three to five men confronted them near campus. An investigating officer revealed that the friend “left her alone when three unidentified men arrived”, after which the attackers seized her phone, dragged her into the jungle, and raped her. The survivor’s testimony includes claims that she was threatened with dire consequences if she alerted anyone. The attackers also demanded money for the return of her phone.

By Saturday, her detailed statement had been recorded. A forensic team visited the jungle site to gather evidence and samples. Investigators began canvassing for witnesses and retrieving CCTV footage from the roads and premises leading to the spot. As one official put it, “We are trying to find some CCTV footage. A forensic team will visit the spot to collect evidence.” Video from nearby cameras is under intense review, frame by frame, for clues.

By evening, no arrests had been made of the five principal suspects. Police said they were still working to identify them. “Our teams are on the case – it’s too early to say anything conclusively,” a Durgapur city police commissionerate official added, and urged citizens not to speculate prematurely.

Questioning the Friend and His Role

In a swift turn, the victim’s male companion, Wasif Ali, was taken into police custody for questioning. He has not yet been formally charged, but authorities are examining all angles of his role. His decision to accompany her to a secluded area — and his abandonment of her at the onset of the attack — have raised considerable suspicion.

“We are examining all angles, including the companion’s actions during the abduction,” said a senior police officer, signalling that the entire timeline of his movements is under scrutiny.

The victim’s family too has voiced serious doubts. In his FIR, her father accused the classmate of “misled her and took her to a vacant place under false pretexts”. He alleges that she believed she was just going for a snack but was led into danger. The father also recounted, “One of her classmates took her out on the pretext of getting something to eat, but when two or three other men arrived, he abandoned her and fled.”

Police say multiple persons of interest are being detained and interrogated to find links or conspiracies. Though the friend’s phone records and communications are being examined, no public conclusion has emerged about his guilt or innocence. For now, he remains a central figure in the investigation, and authorities emphasize that all possibilities are being explored as they try to piece together the full narrative.

Family Confronts Pain, Demands Safety Overhaul

By Saturday morning, the victim’s parents had reached Durgapur and went straight to see their daughter at the hospital. They found her in a fragile state—both physically wounded and emotionally shaken—but still strong enough to tell what had happened. The family spoke out, expressing deep anger at the college and local authorities for what they see as poor security in the area. Her father pointed out that the spot where the attack took place was far from the hostel and poorly lit, and that no security guards or patrols were around at that hour.

He lamented, “The hostel was far away, and she had come here [near the gate] to eat. The security arrangements are not sufficient… Such a serious incident occurred, but no action has been taken. There is no system here, no response.” His words reflected the frustration of parents who believed their child should have been protected on campus.

The father also felt betrayed by a college he chose hoping for safety and reputation. He said he never imagined such violence could happen there. In a painful declaration, he told reporters, “My daughter is not safe here. I will not let her continue her education here anymore. I will take her home.” With tears and resolve, he demanded justice: “so that such incidents do not happen to any other girl.” While the family’s first priority is her recovery, they are also insisting on long-term changes to safeguard other students.

The mother of the victim, with a quieter voice, echoed much of the same. She said her daughter had tried to run away when the friend disappeared, but there was nowhere safe to escape to in that desolate area. She added that both the college and local administration had failed to create a secure environment. Students had reportedly warned earlier that the Mohanbagan Avenue area is very dark and lonely at night, yet no extra precautions were in place. The father again voiced a plea: “There is no proper security on the campus,” asking authorities to enhance lighting, surveillance, and patrols throughout campus grounds.

State Steps In, NCW Launches Inquiry

The gravity of the crime prompted action from higher authorities. On Saturday, the West Bengal Health Department demanded an urgent report from the private medical college about what led to the attack. A senior health official said, “We have sought a quick report from the college authorities in this connection. Accordingly, we will take steps.” The college’s response will likely cover how the crime occurred just outside their boundary and whether security failures played a role. The state may then issue guidelines to improve safety in private institutions—especially given that the victim is a medical student, a group already spotlighted by previous attacks.

At the same time, the National Commission for Women (NCW) took up the case. Archana Majumdar, a member of the NCW, strongly condemned the assault and announced an inquiry team would head to Durgapur to meet with the survivor and her family. “Crime against women is on the rise in Bengal. The police are not taking any proactive steps in such cases. This is quite unfortunate,” she stated, calling the Durgapur incident yet another example of authorities failing to prevent violence against women. She vowed that the matter will not be swept under the rug, and that the NCW would monitor the investigation closely and press for the swift arrest of all the culprits.

Majumdar went further, warning that delayed justice emboldens criminals. She said, “Incidents of sexual assault and rape are increasing because the culprits are not being caught and punished promptly… we have not seen any rapist or murderer receive the ultimate punishment in West Bengal… justice is being delayed.” She argued that weak or slow action feeds a culture of impunity. The NCW is expected to include these criticisms in its final report. Among its recommendations will likely be steps to strengthen on-campus safety protocols, especially for women.

The local police say they are fully cooperating with both NCW and state authorities. The hospital overseeing the victim’s care has set up a board of doctors and arranged counseling support to address her trauma. The college administration also submitted a complaint and began reviewing its security systems. Blame is being shifted in part to inadequate campus guards and lax control over how easily students can wander into vulnerable zones without surveillance. In response, the college has pledged to install more lights and CCTV cameras around the gate and in areas often used by students during late hours.

Politics, Public Outcry, and Voices from the Medical Community

What might have remained a local crime quickly drew statewide political fire. The BJP used the incident as evidence, accusing the TMC government under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of a failing law-and-order state. Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT cell chief, wrote online, “This repeated failure of law and order exposes a disturbing pattern under Mamata Banerjee’s administration.” He urged the West Bengal Police to conduct a fair and transparent investigation—unlike how he claimed the RG Kar doctor case was handled—and demanded harsh punishment for the guilty.

Malviya went further: “West Bengal is not safe for women… Until the TMC government is held accountable, women across the state will continue to live in fear.” He even urged that “Mamata Banerjee must go in 2026” when the state elections are scheduled. In Paschim Bardhaman district, containing Durgapur, local BJP branches staged protests over the weekend, accusing police and college officials of trying to “suppress” facts about the crime initially. Protesters drew comparisons to the RG Kar case from 2024, which many believed was downplayed until large protests forced action.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) defended itself vigorously. It labeled attempts to politicize a heinous crime as callous. Shashi Panja, Minister for Women and Child Development, asked critics, “Is there any place for politics here?” She noted that crimes against women occur in many states, citing Odisha—even though it is governed by BJP—as an example. She also referenced how girls protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi were mistreated in 2025 to question BJP’s sincerity. “Those who remain silent when something happens in Manipur, what were they doing with the gold medal-winning girls at Jantar Mantar? Tell the BJP to shut down its shop in Bengal,” she said sharply, while insisting the police are investigating the Durgapur case without prejudice.

The medical community, deeply shaken, also spoke out. The West Bengal Doctors’ Forum (WBDF) strongly condemned the gang-rape, describing it as another “chilling reminder” that women are not even safe on campuses or in hospital environments. The Forum demanded justice for the young student and appealed to the Chief Justice of India to intervene or order a judicial inquiry if necessary. Doctors recalled that after the RG Kar incident, the government had promised reforms. Now, it seems those promises have not been consistently enforced.

Public sentiment too turned fierce. On social media, the term “Durgapur rape” trended as citizens across the state demanded swift action. Many expressed shock, grief, and solidarity with the survivor. Frustration was particularly sharp at the fact that no arrests had been made beyond the victim’s companion even after more than 24 hours. The police responded that multiple units were on the job and that they were determined to identify the real perpetrators rather than rush arrests. Still, the pressure for concrete results is growing by the hour.

Pattern of Violence in Bengal’s Institutions

The Durgapur case did not emerge in isolation. It followed a string of serious sexual violence incidents in West Bengal’s educational institutions, pointing to a larger systemic problem.

In July 2025, a 21-year-old law student in Kolkata’s South Calcutta Law College, Kasba, alleged she was gang-raped inside a campus room by students and outsiders—among them a politician-linked ex-student leader. The public outcry was immediate. Police eventually arrested a former student (with ties to TMC’s student wing), two current students, and even a security guard for their alleged roles.

More grim still is the August 2024 rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata. Her body was found in a locked seminar room on campus. The autopsy confirmed she had been raped and strangled. The gruesome brutality shocked the entire state and country. The case triggered mass protests by doctors and students, demanding safer hospital environments. A lift operator named Sanjay Roy was arrested as the prime suspect. In 2025, he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, doubts linger: the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI investigation, citing possible involvement of others and alleging a larger conspiracy. That probe is still ongoing, even more than a year later.

These episodes—from the RG Kar hospital case (2024), to the Kasba law college rape (July 2025), and now the Durgapur medical student gang-rape (October 2025)—have sharpened calls for stronger accountability and preventive measures in Bengal’s medical and educational institutions. Women in these sectors now publicly voice their fear that they are not safe even where they learn or work.

Even NCW member Archana Majumdar emphasized a perceived trend: “No one has been hanged… no culprits are being punished as they should be,” underlining public frustration over slow or insufficient justice in these cases. The state government points to steps taken—expanded CCTV coverage, tougher staff background checks, and improved hospital security after the RG Kar case—but critics say these measures do not go far enough. Many argue that what is needed now is a proactive and continuous enforcement of safety protocols: better lighting, round-the-clock surveillance, safer transportation routes for students, stricter policing in vulnerable zones, and prompt response to threats or disappearances.

As the Durgapur investigation proceeds, the primary focus remains clear: to capture the five men who brutalized the medical student and hold them fully accountable. Police say the survivor has already shown immense strength by cooperating with investigation and recounting her ordeal. Across Durgapur and beyond, students, doctors, concerned citizens, and rights activists wait anxiously. All eyes are on whether this case will set a turning point—a moment when talk of “zero tolerance” for crimes against women is matched with urgent, effective action.