The West Bengal police on Sunday, 12 October, arrested three individuals in connection with the gang rape of a medical student in Paschim Bardhaman district. The case has provoked widespread outrage across the state.

According to media reports, the arrests took place during a night-time operation, and the suspects are now under questioning. A senior police officer stated, “We have arrested three persons in connection with the case. They are being interrogated. This is a very sensitive case, and we will share more details later.”

Here are the names of those linked to the gang rape at Durgapur’s private medical college:
▪️ Sheikh Nasim Uddin
▪️ Sheikh Riyaz Uddin
▪️ Sheikh Ferdaus
▪️ Sheikh Safikul

Each of them is reported to live in Bijra village.

In one of her controversial remarks, Mamata Banerjee said there should be no objection to giving them a ‘kick’. This statement smacks of vigilante justice and reveals a disturbing disregard for due process in the face of heinous crime.

The Assault and the Aftermath

The victim is a second-year MBBS student who, on the night of 10 October (Friday), was allegedly gang raped by five unidentified men in a forested area near Durgapur. She studies at IQ City Medical College Hospital, located near Shobhapur in Durgapur, and is originally from Jaleswar, Odisha.

That night, she left campus with a male friend, Wasif Ali, around 8:30 PM. They walked along Mohanbaghan Avenue, adjacent to Durgapur Government College, under the jurisdiction of New Township police station, when five men intercepted them. They forcibly abducted her, dragged her into the nearby forest, and raped her repeatedly. The attackers threatened her male companion with death if he intervened.

In terror, Wasif fled the scene, but later returned to find the injured student and immediately took her to hospital. She is being treated and her condition is reported as stable but serious.

Her parents travelled from Odisha to Durgapur on 11 October. They contended that their daughter knew none of the assailants and blamed the college administration for failing to ensure campus safety.

In a swift turn, police also detained Wasif for questioning. Investigators are looking into why he accompanied her to a remote location late at night and why he fled rather than protect her.

CCTV footage from surrounding areas is under review. Forensic teams have arrived at the crime site to collect evidence.

Political Firestorm and Accusations

The case has escalated into a political confrontation. Odisha’s Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi demanded prompt action from West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The BJP launched a fierce assault on the ruling TMC government, accusing it of a complete collapse of law and order. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya wrote:
“West Bengal is not safe for women. Until the TMC government is held accountable, women across the state will continue to live in fear. Mamata Banerjee must go in 2026.”

BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul scathingly criticized the state administration:

“… The incident happened outside the college. The rule is that they cannot go out after 10 pm, but she was out at 8... The road outside the college does not have even a single light installed. There is no CCTV. The forest is just 500 m away. All the immoral activities take place there. Your police know everything... Mamata Banerjee should have some shame. The attitude of her government is that the facts have to be suppressed... They are hiding the medical report in this case. They will also hide whether the rape took place or not. The sections in the FIR will be weak. All of us will shout for a month. We will forget about this rape because another 20 rapes will take place in a month. By then, the police will impose weaker sections and release the accused... This is Mamata Banerjee’s Bangla...”

The victim’s father, overcome with grief, disclosed: “She cannot even walk, she is confined to bed. I have pleaded with the Chief Minister to allow us to move her to Odisha, where she can be safe. Here, her life is in danger.” His plea starkly highlights the family’s fear of further danger in a state where protection feels illusory.

He drew attention to a broader pattern: from the harrowing killing of a young doctor at RG Kar Medical College to this Durgapur case, Bengal seems to have become a nightmare for women. He argues these crimes reflect a collapse in governance, with Mamata Banerjee effectively shielding the guilty and silencing victims.

DCP Abhishek Gupta of the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate stated: “Three persons have been arrested so far. They have been forwarded to the Court today. Further investigation is ongoing, and everything is going according to the protocol. All investigation is taking place…”

When NCW Member Archana Majumdar met the student, she expressed deep concern: “This is really unfortunate and alarming, and I am very shocked... The medical student staying in the hostel went out for food around 8 p.m., and by that time, she was raped by a man, even though one of her male friends was with her... The girl said she was in the area and, during her walk with her friend around the midway, she noticed some people following them. One of these individuals is aged and was at a significant distance. That man followed them, and she was scared... They pulled her towards the forest. There, she was surrounded by 4-5 men. One of them raped her completely, causing injuries. Afterwards, another man also molested her... Meanwhile, her friend returned and rescued her. She went back to the hospital. However, this is not the primary concern. The real concern is that in a medical college with such a large facility, and not far from the city, the college operates without a CCTV camera... Outside the college campus, if there is no proper illumination or security at the gate, it is not reflected who is going out or coming back. Even without police surveillance or patrolling, such incidents can occur. No one can prevent them. Therefore, all parties involved—college authorities, administration, police, and local municipalities—must be very careful and install proper lighting, cameras, and other necessary arrangements to prevent such incidents...”

In response to the outrage, Mamata Banerjee once again ventured into victim blaming. She asserted:

“… The girls should not be allowed to go outside (college) at night. They have to protect themselves also. There is a forest area. Police are searching all the people. Nobody will be excused. Whoever is guilty will be punished strictly. Three people have already been arrested. We will take stringent action... When it happens in other states, it is also condemnable. Such incidents have taken place in Manipur, UP, Bihar, Odisha; we also think the government must take stringent action there. In our state, we charge-sheeted the people within 1-2 months, and the lower court gave the order to hang the accused.”

Her remarks shift the burden onto women rather than on the state machinery that failed to protect them.

Instead of aligning with the victim or asserting firm accountability, the TMC government has frequently engaged in victim shaming and defended perpetrators. From RG Kar to Sandeshkhali to Park Street, repeated incidents point to a pattern: women’s safety is degraded, victims are silenced, and laws become secondary.

Finally, one must ask: will the same voices—the outrage lobby of Supriya Shrinate, Priyanka Vadra, Rahul Gandhi—who thundered demands for justice yesterday, speak up now? Or will this assault, like so many before it, fade from public memory under the cloud of political expediency?