Durgapur gangrape: Survivor's father says he wants to take daughter back to Odisha

Kolkata, Oct 13 (PTI) The father of the MBBS student who was allegedly gangraped near a private medical college in West Bengal’s Durgapur on Monday said he wanted to take his daughter back to Odisha, citing safety concerns, and criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks on the incident.

He said he no longer feels safe in Bengal and likened the situation in the state to "the rule of Aurangzeb".

"It seems Bengal is under the rule of Aurangzeb. I want to take my daughter back to Odisha. Her life comes first, career later," he told television channels, adding that his daughter’s health condition is currently stable.

Expressing outrage over the CM's comments questioning why the 23-year-old student was out of her college campus late at night, the victim’s father said, "She is also a woman. How can she say such an irresponsible thing? Should women quit their jobs and sit at home?" Banerjee came under fire on Sunday after she advised female students not to venture out late at night following the Durgapur incident.

"I am shocked to see the incident, but private medical colleges also have to take care of their students, especially the girl child. At night time, they should not be allowed to come outside," Banerjee had said.

The opposition BJP and the Congress alleged that the chief minister’s comments reflected the government’s "insensitive" attitude toward crimes against women and highlighted the state’s deteriorating law and order situation.

Later, Banerjee sought to clarify her position, saying her words had been taken "out of context." "The address I gave at the Kolkata airport has been deliberately distorted. My words were not what they have been made out to be," she told reporters in Alipurduar on Sunday evening.

However, the FIR lodged in the case mentions that the alleged incident took place around 8 pm, not after midnight as the CM claimed.

The victim’s father said he has requested Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to facilitate his daughter’s transfer back home once her confidential statement before the magistrate is recorded.

"I have spoken to our chief minister, and he has assured help," he said.

On Monday, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari met the victim’s father in Durgapur.

A video of their conversation was shared on social media from Adhikari’s official Facebook page.

Asked if he was satisfied with the police investigation, the student’s father said, "I request police to ensure strict punishment for the guilty so that they don’t dare to repeat such a heinous act." The brutal assault of the medical student from Odisha has triggered widespread protests across Bengal and reignited debate over women’s safety in the state. PTI PNT MNB