Kolkata college rape case exposed political-criminal nexus, igniting outrage over TMC links and student safety.
Kolkata: Less than 11 months after the horrific rape-murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, another rape – that of a first-year law student in a city college – had laid out in full public view the connections between the perpetrators and the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Monojit ‘Mango’ Mishra, the prime accused, aged 31, is an alumnus of South Calcutta Law College (which is affiliated to Calcutta University) and a criminal lawyer at Alipore Court. Based on the approval by the Governing Body of South Calcutta Law College, he was appointed as a “temporary staffer” in his own college.
The president of the governing body is a long-time TMC MLA Ashok Deb, who is also the chairman of the Bar Council of West Bengal. The Bar Council’s rules prohibit advocates from pursuing any other job or vocation, but when asked about this anomaly, Deb said that “it was the right of people who worked for the party for years”.
Mishra wielded absolute power in the college and his word was law. The acting principal was known to follow his dictates. Even the footage from security cameras were made accessible to him.
Mishra was reportedly linked to the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the student wing of the ruling TMC in West Bengal. He is said to have held positions such as vice president and organisational secretary of the TMCP South Kolkata District during his student years, though the party claims he was ousted from leadership roles in 2021 and 2022 due to rowdy behaviour.
The list of Mishra’s misdemeanours runs long. Reports suggest he was admitted to the college in 2007 but dropped out some time later. He was readmitted in 2017 to pursue a BA LLB, and graduated in 2022. All these actions are against the University’s rules and regulations.
“The main accused had called the victim to the campus on Wednesday evening (June 25). On her arrival, he 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 the accused as “M”, “J” and “P.”
“Around 6 pm, 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 while later, the student told the police, the main accused proposed 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 went to the room and was beaten back. 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 filmed the act and 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.
On June 26, Mishra was arrested alongside the two current students, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee.
Posts on X have since circulated photographs purportedly showing Mishra with senior TMC leaders, including state TMCP office-bearers and Law Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, Abhishek Banerjee and many others, fuelling accusations that he leveraged these ties to intimidate or harass students. Senior TMC Minister Firhad Hakim has denied any formal association, but the viral images have intensified public scrutiny.
The incident has drawn parallels to the R.G. Kar Medical College rape and murder case, with critics pointing to a pattern of violence against women in educational settings under TMC governance.
Allegations suggest Mishra used his TMC links to create a climate of fear, with some students claiming he targeted female peers with threats and advances. While no formal complaints beyond the rape case have been substantiated, trending discussions on X highlight anecdotal reports of his alleged misconduct. TMC leaders have dismissed the claims as politically motivated, with Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee urging a fair investigation.
The opposition, including the BJP, has seized on the issue, with Suvendu Adhikari demanding a CBI probe into TMC’s alleged role in shielding perpetrators. Political parties and women’s groups have organised protests outside the college, calling for stricter security measures and accountability.
Mishra’s past is marked by multiple criminal complaints, including a 2017 charge of assault and threats at the law college, molestation and tearing a female student’s clothes, and stealing a music system and gold chain in 2019. A molestation complaint against him was lodged at Kasba Police Station in 2022. Last year, he assaulted a college guard and indulged in vandalism. Earlier this year, he assaulted a police officer.
Former students and batchmates describe him as a “troublemaker” and “serial predator,” alleging he harassed female students, morphed photos, and created a climate of fear on campus. Some claim the college administration and police failed to act decisively despite prior complaints, a point under investigation.
A chilling viral video, in which Mishra and his associates can be seen bashing up a student who cries for help and mercy, ends with the words, “Do you know who we are? We are PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS”.
While the case remains under investigation, with Mishra and his two associates in custody, the allegations have dented TMC’s image ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, spotlighting the party’s links with criminals and highlighting concerns over governance and student safety in the state.
