Odisha WC Chief Slams Mamata

Ahead of the commission’s visit to Durgapur on Monday to meet the survivor’s family, Mohanty said Banerjee “did not feel the pain” of the victim and urged him to focus on women’s safety in West Bengal.

“Let him talk. He doesn’t feel any pain. We will provide counseling with the medical student. It is wrong to say ‘Women should not go out at night.’ “You have to reassure women (about safety),” Mohanty told ANI.

Mamata Banerjee had earlier said following the incident that colleges should not allow girls to go out at night. “I was shocked to see the incident, but private medical colleges should also be careful about their students, especially girls. Girls should not be allowed to go out (to college) at night. They also need to protect themselves,” Banerjee said.

The survivor, a second-year student of a private medical college in Durgapur and a native of Odisha, was allegedly gang-raped.

A three-member team from Odisha State Women’s Commission went to Durgapur to investigate the incident. Mohanty said the team will meet the survivor and his family, assess his health and review the ongoing investigation before submitting a report to the Odisha government.

“We will check his health and meet his family. We will submit our recommendations to the state government after getting information about West Bengal’s medical treatment, mental health and whether a proper investigation has been carried out,” Mohanty said.

Senior Field Officer Bijiyani Singh added that the team may also meet the investigating police officers. “We will ensure that he gets proper medical treatment and justice. No one is above the law,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, National Commission for Women (NCW) member Archana Majumdar also criticized Banerjee’s statement, calling it “nonsense” and urging her to focus on law and order.

Majumdar said that women are successful in every field and should not be restricted. “How can we say that a girl should be locked in a room at night? Women work in hospitals, IT and sports. It is the Prime Minister’s responsibility to make laws that protect women, not restrict them,” she said.