Medical student from Odisha 'gang-raped' in Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): A medical college student from Odisha was allegedly raped by unidentified men in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district, police said on Saturday.
The police began an investigation into the incident that occurred outside the private medical college campus in Durgapur on Friday night when the second-year student went out with one of her friends for dinner, her family members said.
The survivor, from Jaleswar in Odisha, is undergoing treatment at the college hospital and gave her statement to the police, an officer said.
Following the incident that occurred after last year's RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, the opposition BJP claimed that law and order "totally collapsed" under Mamata Banerjee's rule, the TMC said such matters should not be politicised.
"On the basis of a complaint lodged by the family members of the medic, we have started an investigation," he said.
Later, DC (East) of Durgapur Commissionerate, Abhishek Gupta, said, "The matter is sensitive. The investigation is being conducted with all aspects in mind. As soon as more information is available, it will be shared."
Talking to reporters, the parents of the student said they reached Durgapur this morning after getting a call from their daughter's friends.
Her mother alleged that her daughter was "gang-raped" around 10 pm on Friday when she went out of the college campus with one of her friends for dinner.
"We came here this morning and lodged a complaint with the police. I have heard that the college performed well academically, and this is why we sent our daughter to study medicine here," the student's father said.
An initial probe revealed that the student went outside the campus with her friend around 8-8.30 pm on Friday, the police officer of New Township Police Station in Durgapur said.
"The friend left her alone when three unidentified men arrived there. The men snatched her phone and took her to a jungle outside the campus, where they raped her. She was threatened with dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident," the officer said.
The accused also demanded money from the medic to return her mobile phone, he said.
"We spoke to the victim's friend last night. We are trying to find out CCTV footage. A forensic team will visit the spot to collect evidence," the officer said.
A team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) reached the hospital in Durgapur to meet the victim and her parents.
"Crime against women is on the rise in Bengal. The police are not taking any proactive steps in such cases. This is quite unfortunate. I will request the chief minister to come forward and work in tandem to arrest the rise of such crimes," NCW member Archana Majumdar said.
Meanwhile, the state health department on Saturday sought a report from the private medical college in Durgapur, a senior official said.
"We have sought a quick report from the college authorities in this connection. Accordingly, we will take steps," he added.
Meanwhile, BJP activists started a sit-in protest outside the New Township Police Station, demanding the immediate arrest of the culprit.
Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, spoke to the father of the victim over the phone and assured them of all help to get justice.
The BJP leader also asked the victim's father to shift his daughter to a Kolkata hospital in case the latter was not satisfied with the treatment there.
Later speaking to the media, Adhikari alleged that the law and order in West Bengal has totally collapsed under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also the police minister.
"Since last year's incident at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where an on-duty doctor was gang-raped, there have been several incidents where women were tortured," Adhikari said.
It's time for the people of West Bengal to have a new government, he said.
Women and Child Development Minister Sashi Panja, called the incident “deeply unfortunate” and urged against politicising crimes against women.
“Kolkata and West Bengal are committed to women’s empowerment. We do not tolerate injustice against women,” she said, calling for patience as the investigation is on.
Panja also cautioned against politicising similar cases in other states, including Odisha.
West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar condemned the incident, saying it reflects the TMC government’s failure to protect women.
"We demand a swift investigation and sent a team to Durgapur to assess the situation and determine next steps," Sarkar said.
The West Bengal Doctors' Forum (WBDF) condemned the gang rape of the MBBS student.
"Another chilling reminder, women are not safe even on campuses. We demand justice, accountability, and real safety measures now," WBDF President Dr Kaushik Chaki said.
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Maldivian military diver dead while searching for bodies of four Italian divers
Colombo (AP): A Maldivian military diver died Saturday while searching for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave.
The group of five Italian divers is believed to have died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 50 metres in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy's Foreign Ministry. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 metres.
Maldives Presidential Spokesman Mohammed Hussain Shareef said that Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defence Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital.
“The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,” he said.
Earlier, Shareef said the searchers had prepared a plan based on their progress exploring the cave on Friday. Mahudhee was part of the group that briefed Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday.
Rough weather has repeatedly hampered rescue efforts.
The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said everything possible would be done to bring the victims home. His ministry stated it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies. The cause of the deaths remains under investigation.
The victims have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.
Benedetti's body was recovered on Thursday.
Montefalcone and Oddenino were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the University of Genoa said in a statement Friday. However, the scuba diving activity during which the deadly accident occurred was not part of the planned research and was “undertaken privately,” it said.
The statement also said the two other victims — student Sommacal and recent graduate Gualtieri — were not involved in the scientific mission.
Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialised training, equipment and strict safety protocols. Risks increase sharply in environments where divers cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor.
Experts say it's easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
Diving at 50 metres also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies, with depths beyond 40 metres considered technical diving and requiring specialised training and equipment.
Shareef said Benedetti's body was found near the mouth of the cave and authorities believed the remaining four had entered the cave.
Two Italians, a deep-sea rescue expert and a cave diving expert, are expected to join the recovery effort, Shareef said.
Italian officials said that around 20 other Italians on the same expedition aboard the vessel “Duke of York” were safe. Italy's embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those onboard and had contacted the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy volunteers to help provide psychological aid.
The Maldives tourism ministry said it has suspended the operating license of the “Duke of York” pending an investigation.
The Italian foreign ministry said the cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.
On Saturday, they will explore the third chamber, the ministry added.
Italian officials and the honourary consul are in contact with the victims' families to provide assistance.
