‘Girls Should Not Be Allowed to Go Out at Night’: Mamata Banerjee Blames College While Reacting to Durgapur Rape Case

West Bengal: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday reacted to the alleged rape of a 23-year-old medical student in Durgapur, saying that girls should not be allowed to go outside the college premises at night, as they also have to protect themselves.

“There is a forest area. Police are searching all the people. Nobody will be excused. Whoever is guilty will be punished strictly,” Banerjee said while addressing the incident. She confirmed that three people have already been arrested and assured that stringent action will be taken against those found guilty.

The Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also compared the incident to similar cases reported in other states, stating, “When it happens in other states, it is also condemnable. Such incidents have taken place in Manipur, UP, Bihar, and Odisha; we also think the government must take stringent action there.”

Highlighting her government’s swift response, Banerjee added that in West Bengal, charge sheets are filed within one to two months, and in previous cases, lower courts have even ordered the death penalty for the accused.

What Do We Know So Far About Alleged Durgapur Rape Case?

A second-year student of a private medical college in Durgapur was allegedly gang-raped on Friday night after stepping out of her college campus to get something to eat. The 23-year-old survivor hails from Jaleswar, Odisha.

According to her father, the incident took place between 8:00 and 9:00 PM when one of her classmates took her out “on the pretext of getting something to eat”. He alleged that when two or three other men arrived, the classmate abandoned her and fled the scene, leaving her vulnerable. The accused reportedly stole her mobile phone and ₹5,000 before fleeing.

The West Bengal Police have so far arrested three individuals in connection with the gang rape that occurred within the hospital premises. Authorities are still searching for two additional suspects.

Investigators have interrogated several people, including staff members of the medical college and the male friend who accompanied the victim that night. The National Commission for Women (NCW) also took note of the case, with a member confirming that the classmate fled during the assault.

Police are now reviewing CCTV footage and assessing security lapses on the college campus as part of the ongoing probe.

Opposition Slams TMC

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi expressed deep anguish over the incident, directing senior officials to coordinate with the West Bengal government. “All possible assistance will be provided to the victim’s family,” he wrote on X, urging CM Mamata Banerjee to take ‘exemplary action’ against those responsible.

Meanwhile, the case has sparked a political firestorm in West Bengal. The BJP accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of failing to maintain law and order.

“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 IT Cell chief Amit Malviya wrote on X.

Dimple Yadav, Samajwadi Party MP and an INDIA bloc ally of the TMC, countered that crimes against women are a nationwide concern, not confined to Bengal. “In Uttar Pradesh, heinous crimes against women have more than doubled in the last 10 years.