'Her life's in danger': Rape survivor’s father appeals to govt to shift daughter to Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar (PTI): The father of a 23-year-old woman, who was allegedly gangraped in West Bengal’s Durgapur, on Sunday appealed to the Odisha government to shift her to Bhubaneswar for treatment, citing a threat to her life.
The survivor, a second-year MBBS student, is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Durgapur.
Her parents, residents of Jaleswar in Balasore district, rushed to West Bengal after being informed about the incident.
"I appeal to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to help shift my daughter to Bhubaneswar. I fear that her life may be in danger," the father told PTI over phone from Durgapur.
The Dalit woman was allegedly raped by three men while she had gone out of the campus with a male student around 8pm on Friday, officials said.
The student's father said the family felt unsafe in West Bengal and was "too frightened to trust anyone".
"They (not taking any name) will kill my daughter. Her health condition has improved, but there is danger to her life. I cannot trust them," he said.
"I am hiding in Durgapur, while my wife, a diabetic, stands at the bedside of our daughter in the hospital," he added.
The father made a plea to the Odisha government after a team of officials from Balasore visited the hospital on Saturday, acting on the direction of Majhi, who had spoken to him over phone the same night.
Asked about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s reported remark that girls should not venture out of campus at night, the father said: "This is completely false. I see an attempt to suppress the incident. My daughter had not gone out at midnight—it was just 8 pm on Friday."
He further alleged that the survivor had gone out with a male companion who fled the scene during the attack and did not alert anyone.
"She was attacked between 8 and 9 pm. Her male companion ran away and did not raise an alarm or seek help. The miscreants then dragged her into a jungle area and did unspeakable things to her," he claimed.
Additional District Magistrate of Balasore, Hemant Singh, who visited the hospital, said, "The West Bengal Police has arrested three people within 36 hours of the incident. We are satisfied and hope that justice will be done to the victim."
A four-member team from the Balasore district administration, including District Social Welfare Officer Jyotsna Mohanty, also met the family.
"The survivor’s condition is gradually improving. We have assured the family that the Odisha government stands firmly with them. Necessary coordination is being maintained with the West Bengal Police," Mohanty said.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Pratap sarangi came down heavily on the Banerjee government and blamed the chief minister for "complete breakdown" of the law and order in the state.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
_vb_21.jpeg)