Durgapur gangrape case: Mamata says reaction ‘deliberately distorted’; Bengal police arrest fourth accused | Top updates
West Bengal Police have arrested a fourth suspect in the Durgapur gang rape case, involving a medical student.
West Bengal Police have arrested the fourth accused in connection with the alleged Durgapur gang rape case, Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate said, as reported by ANI. The police had earlier arrested three individuals in connection with the alleged gangrape.
Here are the top updates in the Durgapur rape case:
1. On Sunday, a local court in West Bengal’s Durgapur ordered 10 days of police custody for the three individuals arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a medical student. The second-year student of a private medical college was allegedly gangraped on Friday night. The survivor hails from Odisha.
2. Meanwhile, a three-member team of the Odisha State Commission for Women, led by chairperson Sovana Mohanty, will visit Durgapur and meet the survivor's family on Monday. The three-member team will submit a report to the Odisha government after inquiring about West Bengal's medical treatment and the ongoing probe in the case.
3. Mohanty told ANI, “We will check on her health and meet her parents. We will submit our recommendations to the State government after inquiring about West Bengal's medical treatment, her mental health and whether a proper investigation is being conducted. It is a 3-member team. We will also inquire about fast-tracking the case and regarding another accused who has not been arrested yet.”
4. "Odisha CM talked to the girl's father and the administration," the Odisha Women Commission chairperson added. Senior Field Officer and Consultant for Odisha State Commission for Women, Bijiyani Singh, said that the three-member team may also meet police officers investigating the case and will try to ensure justice for the medical student.
5. Father of the Durgapur alleged gangrape victim, told ANI, “... She is unable to walk and is on bedrest. The Chief Minister, DG, SP, and Collector are all helping us a lot and regularly enquiring about her health... I have requested the Chief Minister to let us take my daughter away from here to Odisha, to a safer place because here, her safety is at risk... We have requested her to let us take her away.”
Bengal CM faces intense backlash. What did she say?
6. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee faced intense backlash for her advice after the alleged gangrape of a medical student that female boarders must not venture out at night.
Also Read: West Bengal shocker! Medical student from Odisha, who went out for dinner with friend, 'gang-raped'
7. "She was studying in a private medical college. Whose responsibility is it? How did she come out at 12.30 at night? Students staying in hostels, especially those who have come to West Bengal to study from outside, are expected to follow the hostel rules. They should avoid venturing out late at night, although they have the fundamental right to go wherever they want," Banerjee said while talking to reporters at Kolkata airport after the incident.
8. However, she later said that her words were “deliberately distorted and taken out of context”.
9. CPI(M) West Bengal State Secretary, Mohammed Salim, launched a sharp attack against Banerjee and asked if she would say the same to “men”. “Men and Women are equal, does Mamata Banerjee accept this or not? Will she say the same for men? Women of all ages are feeling insecure in West Bengal right now...Police and law and order have collapsed in Bengal,” he said.
10. Alleging police protection for criminals, Salim said that the Mamata Banerjee government is at odds with the ideology of visionary leaders, including Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, who worked for the upliftment of women. “She is a woman CM and restricting women, is there a Taliban rule here? Women can't walk freely at night; they can't go out for a job. WB police completely botched up the investigation, protecting the criminals...Their mentality and thought process are completely at odds with the ideology of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Vidya Sagar, and leftist movements,” the CPI(M) State Secretary said.
(With inputs from agencies)