23-Year-Old Medical Student Allegedly Raped Near Private College Campus in West Bengal: Police Open Probe

Durgapur, West Bengal: hai A 23-year-old medical (MBBS) student is alleged to have been raped near the campus gate of a private medical college in the Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal late on Friday evening. The police have registered a case and launched an investigation.  

According to multiple media reports, the victim is a second-year student originally from Jaleswar, Odisha, currently studying in Durgapur. She had stepped out of the campus around 8:30 pm in the company of a male friend to get dinner. Near the college gate, she was allegedly dragged into a secluded area behind the hospital premises adjacent to the campus and assaulted.  

The student’s father has alleged that a group of four to five men intercepted her at the gate. One of them is alleged to have raped her, taken her mobile phone, and demanded Rs 3,000 to return it. The male companion who accompanied her reportedly brought her back and alerted her family.  

The family says they were informed of the incident by friends of their daughter. They arrived in Durgapur the next morning. Medical treatment and forensic examination of the survivor are underway.  

Police officials have confirmed that a formal complaint has been lodged, and an investigation has begun. Authorities are questioning college staff, the male companion, and other persons who may have witnessed the incident.  

Thus far, the official police statement is limited, as the investigation is in its early stages. Locals and relatives of the victim have expressed outrage, demanding swift action and stringent security measures on college campuses.  

This case has drawn comparisons to past high-profile incidents of violence against medical professionals and students in West Bengal, including the 2024 RG Kar Medical College rape-murder case, which had triggered protests and demands for improved safety protocols in medical institutions.