West Bengal MBBS Student Rape Case Reopens RG Kar Tragedy Wounds

Bardhaman, WB: West Bengal is once again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. On Friday night, a female MBBS student from a private medical college in Paschim Bardhaman was allegedly raped near her campus. The case has reopened wounds from the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder of August 2024, which had sparked a nationwide movement demanding safer workplaces for doctors.

Bardhaman Incident: West Bengal MBBS Student Rape

According to police sources, the survivor, a medical student from Balasore, Odisha, had gone out with a male friend on Friday night when she was allegedly dragged into a forested area behind the campus and sexually assaulted.

The incident reportedly took place near the college premises, raising concerns over security arrangements and surveillance on medical campuses.

An FIR has been lodged, but no official statement has yet been issued by the district police regarding arrests or the progress of the investigation.

Hours after the incident, the family of the RG Kar victim publicly questioned the safety of women in the state, accusing authorities of systemic failure and selective justice.

RG Kar Victim’s Family Questions State’s Safety Claims

Speaking to the media, the father of the RG Kar junior doctor expressed heartbreak and anger:

“Is this an example of a safe state? The girl came to West Bengal with a dream to build a career and serve society. But what happened? She was violated, and her dreams were shattered. We stand with her, and will fight for justice.”

He added that while the police had filed an FIR promptly this time, “beyond that, nothing will happen.” He also criticized the delayed FIR and inaction in his daughter’s case, saying justice continues to be denied.

Doctors’ Forum Condemns the Incident

The West Bengal Doctors Forum (WBDF) issued a strongly worded statement calling the assault “a horrifying crime that exposes the state’s failure to protect women, even in medical campuses.”

The WBDF said:

“This horrifying crime comes barely a year after the rape and murder of a postgraduate medical student at RG Kar Medical College, for which the Hon’ble Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance and issued detailed safety guidelines. Yet, despite these directions, nothing has changed on the ground.”

The forum demanded judicial intervention by the Chief Justice of India, calling for:

• An independent judicial inquiry into the Pashchim Bardhaman case,
• Accountability of state authorities and institutional heads, and
• Strict penal consequences for non-compliance with safety norms.

Reactions from Doctors and Activists

Medical professionals across West Bengal expressed fear and frustration.

Dr. Debasish Haldar, who was among the prominent voices during the RG Kar protests, said:

“This is not about whether the institute is private or government. It’s about safety. If justice had been delivered in the RG Kar case, perhaps such men would have thought twice.”

Dr. Anupam Roy, a junior doctor, added that college authorities often “help culprits by covering up incidents,” worsening the trust deficit between medical students and institutions meant to protect them.

Slow Reforms Despite Supreme Court Intervention

In August 2024, following the RG Kar case, the Supreme Court of India had directed the Union Health Secretary and all state governments to implement immediate measures for doctors’ safety.

A National Task Force (NTF) was constituted to create a formal protocol for preventing violence, sexual assault, and harassment in hospitals.

However, nearly a year later, the situation appears largely unchanged.

Despite multiple safety directives, from increased surveillance to secure restrooms and better lighting, several hospitals continue to report unsafe working conditions, overcrowded hostels, and poor security vigilance.

Recurring Questions on Women’s Safety in Bengal

Friday’s assault has triggered widespread anger across social media, with doctors, students, and citizens demanding stronger campus safety mechanisms and justice for the survivor.

Many have pointed out that the Supreme Court’s 2024 guidelines, which included installation of CCTV cameras, secure transportation facilities, and gender-sensitisation programmes, remain largely unimplemented.

As protests grow and public patience wears thin, both the state government and law enforcement agencies face renewed pressure to act decisively and ensure that medical campuses, meant to heal and protect, do not turn into sites of fear and violence.

Unsafe Hostels and Overcrowded Campuses: A Nationwide Problem

The recent incident highlights a much broader concern, the unsafe living conditions for medical students across India.

From Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College to Delhi’s Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), overcrowded dormitories, poor lighting, and lack of CCTV coverage remain alarming issues.

At MAMC, for example:

• Hostels built for 1,200 students now house over 3,200.
• Many doctors rest in hospital corridors due to lack of space.
• Encroachments and illegal settlements around hospital campuses increase the risk of crimes.

These structural problems mirror those at RG Kar, where the victim had no secure resting room on call and was forced to rest in a seminar hall, where she was later attacked and killed.

Encroachments and Criminal Activity Around Medical Campuses

Authorities in Delhi, Kolkata, and other cities have acknowledged that illegal settlements near hospital campuses often contribute to rising crime rates. Encroachments lead to:

• Obstructed ambulance routes,
• Drug and alcohol rackets, and
• Increased risk of sexual assault in poorly lit, unmonitored zones.

Doctors’ associations have repeatedly demanded the removal of illegal encroachments, installation of LED streetlights, and increased police presence around campuses.

Steps Taken: Too Little, Too Late?

Some progress has been noted in major institutions like AIIMS Delhi, where:

• Security patrols are frequent,
• Entry is controlled via ID verification, and
• A designated Security Officer oversees all safety measures.

Yet, outside top-tier institutes, most colleges remain ill-equipped. Resident doctors at MAMC and RG Kar have urged authorities to:

• Enforce a “One Patient, One Attendant” rule,
• Restrict visitor access without ID,
• Increase security personnel in emergency wards, and
• Provide dedicated duty rooms and hostels for female doctors.

Doctors in Other States Face Similar Abuse

Incidents are not limited to Bengal.

In Chhattisgarh, doctors protested after a senior bureaucrat verbally abused a woman doctor, threatening to use his influence against her.

This, doctors say, reflects a culture of disrespect toward medical professionals, particularly women, across India.

“People must rethink how they treat healthcare professionals,” one doctor in Raipur said. “We can’t save lives while fearing for our own.”

From Outrage to Reform

The Pashchim Bardhaman assault has reignited India’s collective anger, and its painful memory of RG Kar.

The question remains: How many more doctors must be violated before hospitals become safe workplaces?

Until judicial accountability, campus-level reforms, and police responsiveness become real, not reactive, promises, young women in medicine will continue to face the same horrors their predecessors endured.