Survivor Recounts Horror of Durgapur Campus Gang-Rape
Harrowing new details have emerged in the case of the Durgapur medical student who was gang-raped on Friday, as the survivor has provided a chilling account of the assault to her treating doctor. Her statement reveals the terrifying moments when she was chased, overpowered, and threatened by her attackers in a forested area adjacent to her college campus. The 23-year-old’s testimony adds a deeply personal and disturbing dimension to a crime that has already sparked widespread outrage and escalated into a major political firestorm over the state of women's safety in West Bengal.
The incident, involving a second-year medical student originally from Jaleswar in Odisha, has brought the issue of campus security back into the national spotlight. Five men have since been arrested in connection with the crime, including a former security guard from the private medical college. As the investigation proceeds, with police planning a full reconstruction of the event at the crime scene, the survivor's firsthand account paints a grim picture of the attack and the climate of fear it has created.
"They Said They Will Call More Men"
In her statement to the doctor, which has since been accessed by media, the student detailed the moments leading up to the assault. She explained that she and a friend had gone out for dinner when they were intercepted by a group of men. "We noticed that they were leaving their vehicle and coming towards us. We started running towards the forest," she recounted. The chase was short-lived. "Then those three people came running after us, caught me, and dragged me into the forest."
The horror intensified as the men allegedly took her phone and forced her to call her friend. When he did not appear, they pushed her deeper into the jungle. The survivor described the terrifying threat used to silence her. "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 stated. This chilling threat of further violence underscores the brutal and calculated nature of the assault, leaving the young woman completely helpless.
Political Firestorm and a Father's Anguish
The brutal crime has rapidly become a flashpoint for political recriminations. The survivor's father, in his grief and anger, delivered a searing critique of the state's administration and the safety environment for women. He compared the situation in Bengal to "Aurangzeb's rule" and expressed his desire to take his daughter back home to Odisha, prioritizing her life over her medical career.
His anger was further fueled by controversial comments allegedly made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who reportedly suggested that "female students should not step out late at night." The father questioned this sentiment directly, asking, "Should women quit their jobs and sit at home?" The Governor of West Bengal, CV Ananda Bose, also weighed in, calling for a "second renaissance" in the state to ensure the safety and dignity of women. The combination of the horrific crime, the father's raw anguish, and the ensuing political controversy has amplified calls for accountability and immediate action to address the systemic failures in campus security.
Image Source: The CSR Journal
