Kolkata: On Monday, the West Bengal Police apprehended two additional individuals in relation to the alleged gang rape of a medical student in Durgapur, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to five, according to a senior officer. The 23-year-old woman from Jaleswar in Odisha’s Balasore district was assaulted on Friday night when she stepped out of the private medical college with a friend for dinner. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abhisekh Gupta of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate stated to PTI, “Two more arrests have been made.
With these, all five accused have been taken into custody based on the complaint filed by the woman.” Three suspects were detained on Sunday for their alleged roles in the gang rape of the student. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee characterized the incident as “shocking” and affirmed her government’s zero tolerance policy towards such crimes. However, she also advised women against going out alone late at night, a comment that received significant backlash from opposition parties and women’s rights advocates. Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, claimed that at least one of the arrested individuals is affiliated with the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
In response, TMC spokesperson Debanshu Bhattacharya remarked, “Even if he is a party worker, it must be appreciated that the TMC has zero tolerance for crimes. Had this incident occurred in a BJP-ruled state, the accused would have been honored instead.” The incident has also elicited strong responses from neighboring Odisha, where Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi called on his West Bengal counterpart to impose the harshest penalties on the offenders. Sovana Mohanty, chairperson of the Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW), is also set to travel to West Bengal to meet with the survivor, check her health, and discuss matters with her parents and the local police.