Rape and victim-blaming cues from leaders, judges

West Bengal chief minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee had some advice for the medical student in Durgapur who was raped outside her campus. “We are not defending anyone but girls should not leave campus at night,” said one of only two women CMs in India at present.

- Namita Bhandare

The student had stepped out with a male batchmate for dinner at around 8 pm when they were accosted by a group of men. The friend reportedly fled the scene, leaving the student alone with the men. So far, the police have arrested six men, including the friend.

This is not the first time Banerjee has jumped in with her own theories about individual rape cases.

In 2012, “fabricated” was the word she used to describe the rape of the “Park Street victim”, as media called her. Suzette Jordan was no victim and waived her right to anonymity. She was eventually vindicated by the court.

But super-sleuth Banerjee has not stopped unearthing political conspiracies and failed love affairs (2022 Nadia, 2023 Kaligunj), even before investigations are complete.