A second-year MBBS student with a private medical college in Durgapur was allegedly gang-raped by a classmate and at least three others after she went out with him for dinner on Friday evening.

The incident follows rape allegations from multiple campuses in Bengal — RG Kar Medical College, a Kasba law college and IIM Calcutta — over the last 14 months.

The 23-year-old survivor, who is from Jaleswar in Odisha’s Balasore district, stays at a hostel on the campus of the IQ City Medical College and Hospital in Durgapur.

Police sources said the male classmate, who is from Malda, has been detained but the other accused — believed to be known to him — remain unidentified.

The woman has been admitted to the ICU at the hospital.

The two students had left the campus, near the Sovapur locality, around 7.58pm. According to college authorities, they returned briefly at 8.38pm but went out again shortly afterwards.

Officers said the woman was allegedly dragged to a deserted spot where she was robbed of her mobile phone and cash and raped by at least four men.

The two students eventually returned to the campus at 9.29pm, and the woman entered the women’s hostel at 9.31pm. Her friends later learned that she had “endured an assault”, a college statement said.

It said the alleged assault was immediately reported to the dean and the principal for necessary action and medical treatment of the student.

The college informed the police but a formal complaint was lodged only on Saturday morning — by the woman’s father after he arrived from Odisha.

Police officers have visited the woman in hospital.

The IQ City Medical College in Durgapur. Picture by Dipika Sarkar

Her father told reporters that one of his daughter’s friends had informed him about the incident.

“When I arrived here, I found my daughter had been admitted to hospital in a serious condition, and there was no response from the college administration,” he said.

The father said: “Four to five people took my daughter to a secluded place. One of them raped her first, and the others followed. They also robbed her of her phone and money. The classmate who took her there and then disappeared brought her back later.”

He accused the college of neglecting security.

The college described the incident as “deeply troubling”.

A statement issued by Sudarshana Gangulee, director (branding and public relations) with the IQ City Foundation, which runs the medical college and hospital, expressed support for both the survivor and the accused.

“The institution stands by the affected student and her companion. We extend to them our full support and are resolved to pursue justice with utmost diligence,” it said.

Gangulee denied any security lapse on the campus.

“We ensure security inside the campus up to the main gate. Both the students are adults and went outside of their own accord,” she said.

“What exactly happened outside is not known to us. But we will provide whatever support the police need in their investigation.”

The state health directorate has asked the college to send a detailed report to the director of medical education.

Abhishek Gupta, deputy commissioner (East), Asansol-Durgapur police commissionerate, said: “A probe is underway. Details can only be shared once there is a clear development.”

Students of the medical college staged a protest, as did the BJP and the CPM.

“The girl was raped just outside the college campus. This is a matter of law and order, and it cannot be ignored,” Union minister and former state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had not commented till late in the evening.

Her women and child development minister, Sashi Panja, said: “A complaint of the gang-rape of a medical student has been filed, and the police are investigating the case.”

Panja accused the BJP of politicising an “unfortunate incident” and underlined that Trinamool had not tried to milk the self-immolation of a rape complainant in Odisha.

The Service Doctors’ Forum condemned the incident.

In a statement, its general secretary, Sajal Biswas, said: “Once more, a medical student has been raped in Bengal.... The Durgapur case reflects an atmosphere of fear and insecurity in the health and education sectors.”

Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi urged Mamata to “take exemplary action against the accused as per the law”.

He directed his officials to stay in touch with the Bengal government.

“The family will be given all possible assistance from the Odisha government,” Majhi wrote.

In August last year, a postgraduate trainee was raped and murdered inside RG Kar, triggering spontaneous public demonstrations in Calcutta and elsewhere in the state.

Last June, a student of South Calcutta Law College, Kasba, alleged gang rape on the campus. In July, an IIM Calcutta student was accused of raping a woman guest in his hostel room.