A 23-year-old medical student from Odisha, studying in a private medical college in West Bengal’s Durgapur, has described the brutal assault she endured last week, offering a harrowing account of how her attackers cornered, dragged, and overpowered her in a nearby forest.
Survivor’s Statement
In a statement the survivor made before the treating doctor, detailing the moment the attack began, she said, “We noticed that they were leaving their vehicle and coming towards us. We started running towards the forest. Then those three people came running after us, caught me, and dragged me into the forest,” India Today reported.
She further told the doctor that the men snatched her phone and demanded she call her friend.
“They grabbed me from behind, took my phone and told me to call my friend. When he didn’t come, they forced me to lie down. When I screamed, they said if I make noise, they will call more men and they would do it too. So just let me do it,” she said.
The assault took place on Friday night when the second-year student, originally from Odisha’s Jaleswar, went out with a friend for dinner. A group of men intercepted them near the college campus, dragging her into a forested area adjacent to the Paranaganj Kali Bari cremation ground, close to the college gates.
So far, five men have been arrested in connection with the case. Police said the accused include a former college security guard, a hospital employee, a temporary worker at the local civic body, and an unemployed youth.
Crime Reconstruction And Police Probe
According to West Bengal Police, all the accused will be taken to the crime scene for a reconstruction exercise aimed at verifying the survivor’s statement and mapping the sequence of events. A senior officer confirmed that the site lies within a jungle patch near the cremation ground.
Outrage And Political Reactions
The case has triggered nationwide outrage and political uproar. The survivor’s father compared the situation in Bengal to “Aurangzeb’s rule”, expressing anguish over the state of women’s safety.
“She (CM) is also a woman. How can she (Mamata Banerjee) say such an irresponsible thing? Should women quit their jobs and sit at home? It seems Bengal is under the rule of Aurangzeb. I want to take my daughter back to Odisha. Her life comes first, her career later,” he said.
Governor CV Ananda Bose also weighed in, calling for a “second renaissance” to safeguard women in the state.
The outrage intensified after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s controversial remark suggesting that “female students should not step out late at night”, which drew widespread condemnation from opposition leaders and women’s rights groups alike.
