Three arrested in connection with 'gang rape' of medical college student in Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): Three persons were arrested on Sunday for their alleged involvement in the 'gang rape' of a student of a private medical college in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district, police said.
The identities of the three arrested accused were yet to be disclosed by the police.
"We have arrested three persons in connection with the case. They are being questioned. This is a very sensitive case and we will give out further details later," a police officer told PTI.
Sources in the police said that the mobile phones of the three accused were also seized.
The medical college student hailing from Odisha's Jaleswar was allegedly raped by some men in Durgapur, police said on Saturday.
The incident took place outside the campus of the private medical college in Durgapur on Friday night when the second-year student went out with one of her friends for dinner.
The girl's parents, who rushed to Durgapur from Odisha, lodged an FIR with the New Township police station.
The health condition of the survivor was stated to be "improving" as she is undergoing treatment at the private college and hospital where she was studying, the officer said, adding she has given her statement to the law enforcers.
"The three accused were traced through mobile phone tower dumping method. More people could be involved in the crime, and searches are underway. We are also trying to find out whether these people were known to the survivor or her friend with whom she had gone outside the college. Her friend's role is also under scrutiny," a police source said.
The accused persons had used the survivor's mobile phone to call another accused to the crime spot, he said, adding that it helped them identify the mobile phone numbers of all the accused, he said.
Multiple raids were conducted on Saturday in the areas adjoining the private college to nab the accused.
Forensic experts also collected evidence from the jungle where the incident took place, he said.
It was learnt that representatives of the West Bengal Commission of Women were likely to visit the college during the day and speak to the survivor and her parents.
Representatives of the West Bengal Doctors' Forum (WBDF) and Abhaya Manch would be visiting the college later on Sunday. They condemned the gang rape of the MBBS student, WBDF president Dr Kaushik Chaki said.
The incident has triggered political mudslinging between the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition parties.
It prompted Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to express concern and urge his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee, to take swift action against the perpetrators.
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Constitution amendment bill defeat was BJP’s first embarrassment in Parliament: Margaret Alva
Bengaluru (PTI): Senior Congress leader Margaret Alva on Monday said that the constitution amendment bill's defeat in the Lok Sabha on April 17 was the first embarrassment faced by the BJP-led government in Parliament.
She also alleged that the BJP has no real concern regarding women’s reservation.
The opposition INDIA bloc defeated the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill that sought to facilitate the implementation of women's reservation by expanding the strength of the Lok Sabha, apart from making changes to delimitation.
"This is the first embarrassment and defeat faced by the NDA government in the Lok Sabha," the former Governor of Gujarat and Rajasthan said in a press conference here.
According to her, the women’s reservation has been under discussion since the time of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"During Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure, a 14-member committee was formed, and I was appointed as its chairperson. We prepared a report after studying what needed to be done to enhance the dignity of women across 12 sectors. This was submitted to the government in 1989,” Alva, 84-year-old veteran Congress leader, said.
She said political empowerment for women was emphasised in that report, without which, empowerment in any other sphere is not possible.
“Many people in Parliament used to question me — should we vacate seats for women and stay at home cooking? Why insist on this? Has anyone written these seats in your name? This debate has been ongoing since 1975,” Alva explained.
The Congress leader said Rajiv Gandhi had introduced 33 per cent reservation for women in local bodies.
“At that time, all opposition parties united and defeated the Bill,” she pointed out.
Again, during the tenure of former Prime Minister late P V Narasimha Rao, the 33 per cent reservation Bill in local bodies was passed.
“It was the Congress party that first introduced women’s reservation. Now they are falsely accusing us of being anti-women,” Alva charged.
In 2023, the Women’s Reservation Bill was passed with much fanfare, but it was not immediately implemented.
According to her, a condition was imposed for its implementation that it would be enforced based on census data.
"Once it is in the statute book, what is preventing its implementation? Two years for the census and another two years for delimitation — this means it cannot be implemented by 2029. It was not given in 2024, and there is no possibility even in 2029," Alva charged the BJP-led government at the Centre.
The Congress leader said the BJP is saying that the Bill can be implemented based on the 2011 Census, but when the same suggestion was made in 2023, the BJP rejected it.
On increasing the Lok Sabha seats by 50 per cent, she sought to know the basis for it.
“Where did this (idea) come from? Whose advice was taken? Was it decided by the RSS? Or ordered by a court?” Alva asked.
The former union minister said the Constitution amendment bill, which was defeated on April 17 appears to favour certain North Indian states.
“We pay taxes, but they receive greater benefits and allocations. If seats are increased by 50 per cent based on their calculations, we would get only 14 additional seats, while they would get 40. How is this fair?” she questioned.
While 298 members voted in support of the bill in Lok Sabha, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the bill required 352 votes for a two-third majority.
According to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to "operationalise" the women's reservation act before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in state and Union territory Assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
