The father of the 23-year-old medical student from Odisha, who was allegedly gang-raped in Durgapur, West Bengal, has said that he no longer wants his daughter to remain in the state. Fighting back tears, he told reporters that his daughter’s condition is critical, and he fears for her safety if she continues her education in Bengal.
“My daughter is in pain. She can’t walk right now. She is bedridden. I am concerned about her safety here. They could kill her here any moment. That’s why we want to take her back to Odisha. Trust has been lost. We don’t want her to stay in Bengal. She will pursue her education in Odisha,” the devastated father told news agency ANI on Sunday.
The survivor, a second-year MBBS student from Jaleswar in Odisha’s Balasore district, was allegedly gang-raped on Friday night when she went out for dinner with a male friend. Police said a group of men approached the duo near a secluded area outside the IQ City Medical College campus and assaulted the woman.
Following the incident, the student was rushed to a local hospital, where she remains under medical supervision. Her father, who reached Durgapur soon after, said Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi personally spoke to him and assured full support from the state administration. “The Odisha Chief Minister has spoken to me. The administration is helping us. I have requested that my daughter be allowed to continue her studies in a medical college in Odisha,” he said.
West Bengal Police have arrested three accused, identified as Apu Bauri (21), Firdos Sekh (23), and Sekh Reajuddin (31), while another suspect has been detained for questioning. The survivor’s male friend, who accompanied her that evening, is also under investigation, police sources confirmed.
In an official statement on social media platform X, West Bengal Police said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident and assured that the perpetrators would face strict punishment. “The pain of the victim is as much ours as it is Odisha’s. We shall leave no stone unturned to bring the culprits to justice,” the statement read.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, condemning the assault as “highly condemnable and painful,” urged his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee to ensure exemplary punishment. “I am deeply shocked upon hearing this news. In this sensitive matter, I strongly urge the West Bengal Chief Minister to take strict action against the accused as per law. I have also instructed senior officials to coordinate with Bengal authorities and provide all possible assistance to the victim’s family,” Majhi stated.
He further added that the Odisha government will bear all costs for the survivor’s medical care and legal support. Majhi has been in direct contact with the survivor’s father, promising full state assistance in relocating her to Odisha for recovery and continued education.
The horrific assault has triggered strong political reactions in both states. Opposition BJP leaders in West Bengal launched protests, blaming the Trinamool Congress government for failing to ensure women’s safety. BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, who led a road blockade in Durgapur, accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of remaining silent. “The Chief Minister stands with the accused, not with the victim. Crores are spent on Durga Puja celebrations, but women in Bengal are left unsafe. If people don’t protest now, tomorrow it could be their daughters,” Paul said.
Reacting to the outrage, Bengal Minister and former BJP MP from Asansol termed the incident “deeply shameful and tragic”, calling for fast-track trials. “Criminals who commit such acts should receive the harshest possible punishment. The Chief Minister has already initiated a campaign to strengthen women’s safety mechanisms,” he added.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while calling the assault “shocking”, also questioned the role of the private medical college in ensuring student safety. “She was studying in a private college. How did she come out so late at night? The college must take responsibility for the security of its students,” Banerjee said, adding that the area near the college was “a forest zone” that required stricter vigilance.
Her comments drew criticism from opposition leaders, who accused her of victim-blaming rather than addressing the deteriorating safety conditions for women in the state. The incident also comes a year after the brutal rape and murder of a young doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and only months after another student was raped at a law college in the city, both cases that had sparked nationwide outrage.
Meanwhile, Odisha has extended full cooperation to West Bengal Police in the probe. Student groups and women’s rights activists across Odisha and Bengal have demanded a time-bound investigation and capital punishment for the accused.
As the investigation progresses, the survivor remains under medical observation in Durgapur, with her father now preparing to bring her home to Odisha. His words, “Trust has been lost; we don’t want her to stay in Bengal” echo the anguish of a parent whose faith in the system has been shattered by yet another brutal crime against a woman.
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