Medical Student Raped On Bengal Hospital Premises, Political Slugfest Erupts

A second-year medical student was allegedly dragged and raped inside her hospital premises in Durgapur, West Bengal, in a shocking incident that has drawn comparisons to the brutal 2024 RG Kar rape-murder case. The incident, which occurred on Friday night, has sparked a fierce political slugfest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP over the state of women’s safety.The survivor, a student from Odisha pursuing her MBBS degree at a private medical college, had reportedly stepped out of the campus with a male friend around 8:30 pm.

Near the campus gate, a man allegedly dragged her to a secluded area behind the hospital and raped her. Police have launched an investigation and admitted the survivor to a hospital for medical examination, while also questioning college staff and the friend who was with her.The survivor’s father has alleged severe security lapses at the college and a lack of response from the hospital administration. He claimed his daughter was called out by her boyfriend, Wasif Ali, to eat ‘phuchka’ when a group of four to five men confronted them. “One of them raped her, took her mobile phone, and demanded Rs 3,000 to return it. The boy abandoned her and fled,” he told reporters, adding, “Such a serious incident occurred, but no action has been taken.

There is no system here.”The incident has drawn strong condemnation and has quickly become a political flashpoint. The West Bengal Doctors’ Front called it a “chilling reminder” that women are not safe even on campuses and demanded a judicial inquiry. The BJP launched a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee government for what it called a “repeated failure of law and order.” BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya demanded a transparent investigation, unlike the “mishandled” RG Kar case, and stated, “West Bengal is not safe for women… Mamata Banerjee must go in 2026.”

The Trinamool Congress hit back, with minister Shashi Panja accusing the BJP of politicizing a sensitive matter. “Tell the BJP to shut down its shop in Bengal,” she said, deflecting criticism by pointing to crimes in BJP-ruled states. “The police have started an investigation into the matter,” she added. The incident follows a string of similar cases that have put the state government under pressure, including the alleged gangrape of a law student in July and the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College last year, which had triggered nationwide protests.