‘Incident happened before midnight’: Durgapur rape victim’s father refutes Mamata Banerjee’s claim on timing of assault

The father of the 23-year-old Odia medical student who was allegedly sexually assaulted in West Bengal’s Durgapur has contested Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks about the timeline of the incident, calling them “false and insensitive.”

During a press briefing earlier, Mamata Banerjee had said she was informed that the student and her male classmate were outside the hostel campus around 12:30 am.

“I was told they went out together late at night,” Banerjee had said, also cautioning women about venturing out after midnight. Reacting sharply, the survivor’s father dismissed the Chief Minister’s statement.

“My daughter was sexually assaulted between 8 pm and 9 pm on Friday. Yet the CM falsely claimed the incident happened past midnight,” he said.

“Despite being a woman herself, she made an insensitive remark suggesting women should not be out at night,” he added. The remarks have sparked outrage, with critics accusing the West Bengal CM of “victim-blaming.”

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Odisha government that visited Durgapur on Sunday said they were satisfied with the ongoing investigation.

“We held discussions with West Bengal police and reviewed the progress of their investigation, which we found satisfactory. Within 36 hours, they arrested three accused and detained another suspect for questioning,” said Niranjan Behera, Additional Superintendent of Police, Balasore.

Hemanta Singh, Balasore’s Additional District Magistrate, who was part of the visiting team, echoed the sentiment.

“West Bengal police updated us on their progress, and we found their actions satisfactory,” Singh said, adding that the survivor’s condition is stable.

Odisha State Commission for Women Chairperson Shovana Mohanty also said her team would soon visit Durgapur. “We will conduct a counselling session with the medical student and ensure she is receiving proper treatment,” Mohanty said.

The incident, which occurred on Friday night, has triggered a political storm across Bengal and Odisha, with opposition leaders demanding accountability and restraint in official comments.