Girls shouldn’t be allowed to go out at night: Mamata Banerjee on Durgapur gang-rape incident

Reacting to the gang-rape incident of a medical student in West Bengal’s Durgapur, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said that girls should not be allowed to go out at night.

At the same time, the CM asserted that her government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against such heinous crimes and asked the police to take stringent action against the accused persons.

“In Bengal, we have a zero-tolerance policy against such crimes. Students from outside come here to study. I would request them not to go out at night because the police don’t get to know who is going out at night. The police cannot keep a watch on everyone by going to their doorstep. The private medical college also has a responsibility to take care of its students,” said CM Banerjee while speaking to media persons outside Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.

The CM further said, “If anyone goes out at 12.30 a.m. and something happens… we condemn what happened. We do not support the incident. Everyone is free to go anywhere. But everyone, especially those who live in hostels, must exercise caution. I have asked the police to take stringent action. Nobody will be spared.”

On Sunday, three persons were arrested by the police on charges of gang-rape of a second-year medical student from Odisha outside the campus of a private medical college and hospital in Durgapur.

The arrested persons in the Durgapur rape case have been identified as Sheikh Reajuddin, Apu Bauri and Firdos Seikh. The police are looking for two others and have started a search in this regard.

The second-year medical student from Odisha was allegedly gang-raped outside the campus in Durgapur on Friday, after she went out with her male friend for dinner.

West Bengal Police on Saturday detained the friend of the student and questioned him to know further about the incident. The state health department, meanwhile, has sought a report from the private medical college authorities. According to police, the student had stepped out of the campus with a male friend for dinner when a group of young men on motorcycles began stalking them and making lewd comments.

The men allegedly chased away the friend, dragged the student to a forested area behind the campus, and gang-raped her. They also snatched her mobile phone and threw it away.

The male friend returned with others from the college and found the injured student on the ground. She was admitted to a local hospital. Police confirmed she is a resident of Jaleswar, Odisha.

A complaint lodged by the college prompted the Durgapur New Township Police to act. The private medical college and hospital on Saturday issued a statement, saying that it stands by the student and will extend its full cooperation with the police.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) also took notice of the incident and sought an action taken report from the Bengal DGP within five days.