A second-year MBBS student of a private medical college in West Bengal’s Pashchim Bardhaman district was allegedly dragged outside her college campus and raped Friday night. No arrests have been made yet in this connection, the police said, adding that students of the medical college staged a protest outside the principal’s office after the matter came to light.

According to police sources, the survivor, who hails from Balasore in Odisha, had gone out of the campus with a male friend when she was allegedly dragged into a jungle located at the backside of the college campus and sexually assaulted. On being alerted, the police rushed to the spot. The survivor is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital where her condition is reportedly stable, though she remains deeply traumatised.

Narayan Swaroop Nigam, Principal Health Secretary, West Bengal, said the matter is under police investigation, and the Director of Medical Education has been asked to submit a detailed report.

The private college, meanwhile, said it stands by the survivor and will extend full cooperation to the investigating authorities.

According to a senior police officer, the staff of the medical college and the person who accompanied the student are being questioned. The police are also looking into why the college authorities allowed the student to leave the campus at that particular time. CCTV footage and other evidence are being examined to identify the suspects, a senior officer added.

The police are yet to issue an official statement in the case. Sources said the investigators are examining multiple angles to determine the sequence of events.

On Saturday, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari spoke to the survivor’s father and enquired about her condition. Adhikari has promised all support to the family for her treatment, besides legal assistance.

Meanwhile, state Minister for Women and Child Development Sashi Panja said, “This is an unfortunate incident. The police are investigating the matter and the parents of the girl have arrived and showed faith in the police investigation. The victim is being looked after and her statement is very important.”

“The BJP is a political party and such crimes against women should not be politicised, Kolkata has been the safest city for women all over India. The West Bengal government also works for women and girl empowerment. We have to wait for the investigation to be completed,” she added.

Father accuses authorities of negligence
The survivor’s father, meanwhile, arrived on Saturday morning and accused the college authorities of negligence and providing inadequate security at the hostel. Speaking to reporters, he said, “I received a call yesterday night informing that my daughter had been raped and was admitted to a hospital, and that I should come as soon as possible. I reached today morning and saw that my daughter was in a serious condition. There was no response from the hospital administration.”

He said his daughter had gone outside the campus to eat ‘phuchka’ after her friend called her to meet him at the gate. He added that when she reached the campus gate, around four to five men dragged her to a secluded area and raped her, took away her mobile phone and also demanded Rs 3,000 to return it. Later, the friend who had accompanied the student brought her back.

“I want justice for my daughter so that such incidents do not happen to any other girl. I had sent her here with so many dreams of seeing her becoming a doctor to serve people. There is no proper security on the campus,” the father said.

The student’s mother said her daughter had gone out to eat with her friend, adding, “She said she saw three-four people following them and the boy started running towards the jungle. She also ran behind him and then they caught her and raped her.”

‘Standing by affected student,’ says college

In an official statement, the private medical college said, “It is with profound concern and sorrow that we must inform the public of a deeply troubling incident involving two of our MBBS 2nd year students.”

“Last evening, at approximately 7.58 pm, both students left the campus for dinner. One of them returned at 8.42 pm, but after loitering around the main exit area for around 5-6 minutes, she stepped out again at about 8.48 p.m. The two then returned together at 9.29 pm. The female student proceeded toward the Girls Hostel at around 9.31 pm,” the statement said.

“Later, it came to light that the female student, while she was outside campus, had endured an assault — an occurrence she has herself claimed and reported. At once, she was shifted to the hospital and admitted for urgent medical care. The local police have been duly alerted who in turn commenced an active investigation into the matter,” it added.

The college authorities further stated, “We wish to emphatically state that the institution stands firmly by the affected student and her companion. We extend to them our full support and are resolved to pursue justice with utmost diligence.”

The institute said its key priorities at present are to safeguard the student’s well-being, ensuring that she receives “not only medical care, but also psychological counselling”. They also said they will fully cooperate with the law enforcement, adding, “We are committed to providing all relevant evidence as is asked by the authorities.”

“Maintaining transparent, responsible communication – while respecting legal boundaries and privacy, we will keep students, parents, staff, and the public appropriately informed as the case progresses. We pledge to stand alongside them and work tirelessly with the authorities to ensure that those accountable are brought to justice,” it stated.