Durgapur Medical Student Gangrape: Fortis Responds Amid Row Over Mamata Banerjee’s “Girls Shouldn’t Go Out at Night” Remark

Kolkata, October 12, 2025: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee triggered widespread debate after she advised colleges not to allow girls to go outside at night following the alleged gangrape of a medical student in Durgapur.

Expressing shock at the incident, Banerjee said, “I’m deeply saddened by what happened, but private medical colleges must also take care of their students, especially girls. They should not be allowed to go out at night. They have to protect themselves too. There is a forest area nearby, and police are searching everyone.”

The victim, a second-year medical student from Jaleswar in Odisha, was reportedly attacked after stepping out with a classmate to get food. According to her father, the classmate fled the scene when two or three men confronted them. “At 10 PM, her friend called to inform me that my daughter had been raped. The hostel was far away, and there was no security or immediate response,” he told reporters.

Banerjee condemned the crime and vowed strict action against the accused. “Nobody will be spared. Whoever is guilty will face severe punishment. Three people have already been arrested, and we will take stringent action. Crimes in other states are equally condemnable,” she stated, adding comparisons with similar incidents in Odisha, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate DCP Abhishek Gupta confirmed that three suspects have been arrested and produced before the court. “Further investigation is underway, and all procedures are being followed,” he said.

The assault, which occurred between 8 and 9 PM, has sparked outrage and reignited discussions on women’s safety and institutional accountability in West Bengal’s private colleges