Physically challenged woman raped in Bengal

Rape horror continues to haunt West Bengal. A physically challenged woman was allegedly raped by a junior doctor in a government hospital in Bankura district in West Bengal on Monday night. 

The crime happened when a house staff of Bankura Medical College and Hospital took the woman to a private chamber and, under the guise of medical examination, allegedly raped her.

“We have received a complaint that a deaf and dumb woman was raped by a junior doctor of Bankura Sammilani Medical College. After medically examining the victim, she is being taken to Kolkata for further medical tests,” Bankura’s Superintendent of Police Pranab Kumar told Deccan Herald.

“The clothes of the victim and bed linen have been sent for forensic tests,” Kumar said.
Asked whether it was a prima facie case of rape, Kumar said:  “I have spoken to all concerned. The investigation is on. This is a very sensitive issue and I would not comment on that.”

The incident came to light when the father of the woman lodged a complaint after she was found lying unconscious and naked in the medicine department of the hospital where she was admitted following chest pain on the night of the crime. 

In addition to the police investigation, the hospital constituted a three-member committee to probe the allegations.

“We have received a complaint in this regard. It is learnt that the doctor examined the patient without being accompanied either by a woman hospital staff or an attendant of the patient. The probe team will look into the allegations,”  hospital superintendent Panchanan Kundu said.

The incident comes at a time when Mamata Banerjee’s government has been facing serious criticism over the rising rape cases in the state.

This is the fourth case recorded in less than one month. On February 4 an Anglo-Indian woman was raped by a gang of four in a car near Park Street which was closely followed by the gang-rape of a middle-aged female rag-picker who was later murdered by a truck driver and his helper in North 24 Parganas’ Baranagar.

On February 25 a woman commuter alleged that she was raped by a gang of robbers after she tried to confront them during a robbery attempt on a sub-urban train near Katwa in Burdwan district.

On February 26 two persons were lynched by a mob after they were caught raping a woman in East Midnapore.

Banerjee, brushing aside the incident as “concocted” and media gimmicks claimed on Tuesday that the medical report confirmed that the woman had not been raped.