A first-year student of a law college in south Kolkata was allegedly “gang-raped” in- side the institution by an alumnus and two senior students of the institution. All three accused have been ar- rested and produced before a court which remanded them to police custody for four days. This incident comes less than one year after the State was rocked by months of protests over the gang-rape and murder of a trainee doctor in a State-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The main accused Manojit Mishra is a former office- bearer of the Trinamool Congress’ student wing, Trinamool Chhatra Pari- shad (TMCP) at South Calcutta Law College. He had graduated from the college in 2022 but remained a regular visitor to the campus. He is now a practising lawyer in the Alipore court. Apart from that, he was also appointed to a temporary post in the college on the recommendation of the college’s governing body which is filled with Trin- amool leaders.
The law student was allegedly raped on Wednesday between 7.30 pm and 8.50pm. The arrests were carried out on Thursday night. Bengal TMCP president Trinankur Bhattacharya said that the police will take action irrespective of the political colour of the accused. “The main accused had called the victim to the campus on Wednesday evening. On her arrival, the main accused and his accomplices took her to a room where she was raped,” said a police officer. Despite the victim naming her tormentors in the FIR, the Kasba police station officers referred to as the accused “M”, accused “J” and accused “P.” “Around 6pm, the main accused had first accosted her, the complainant said. She claims she was assured of being made the general secretary of the college union if she agreed to his demands,” said an officer.
The student was allegedly told that she would have to give a “loyalty test”. The exact nature of the test was not specified. A little later, the student told the police, the main accused gave a proposal of marriage. “The student refused, saying she was already in a relationship. Later on, when she tried to leave the college, she was stopped by the main accused and two others,” said the officer. The student was taken to a room where she was allegedly assaulted. Hearing her cries, the security guard at the college had come to the room and was beaten. The vice-principal told the media that the college had only one sanctioned guard.
The three accused then took the student to another room where the main accused raped her while the remaining two accused kept guard. In her complaint, the victim also said the accused hit her with a hockey stick and threatened to kill her boyfriend if she reported the assault.
The vice-principal of the college told media persons that on the direction of the governing body of the college, which is headed by Trinamool MLA Ashok Deb, the main accused has been working at the college as a temporary staff for the last six-seven months. “His employment is renewed every 45 days,” said the viceprincipal of the college. “These employments are made on the recommendations of the governing body.” The other two accused, who are students of the college, were arrested from a park near Talbagan crossing after a complaint was filed.
After interrogating the two, the main accused was also arrested. The mobile phones of all the three have been seized and sent for forensic examination. “We have arrested all the accused. The main accused is the ex-student, and the two others were there. Investigation is on whether the other two were also involved,” said a police officer. All the three were produced in a city court today and remanded to police custody for four days. The victim was taken to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital for medical examination.
A forensic team visited the scene of crime. The National Commission for Women, taking suo motu cognizance of the crime, has asked the Kolkata Police commissioner to submit a report within three days.