KOLKATA: A horrific incident unfolded at a prominent south Kolkata law college on Wednesday evening, where a 24-year-old female student was allegedly gang-raped inside the security guards’ room after refusing a marriage proposal and a post in the student union. The accused also filmed the assault and used the footage to threaten her against approaching the police.
Three individuals—Manojit Mishra, a former student and ad-hoc staff member, and current students Pramit Mukherjee and Zaib Ahmed—have been arrested. The arrests followed a medical examination that supported the survivor’s complaint.
Mishra, once part of the college’s Trinamool Congress student unit, was expelled in 2021 and graduated in 2022. Despite his removal, he returned recently as non-teaching staff. Mukherjee, a first-year student, and Ahmed, a second-year student, are believed to be close associates of Mishra.
The survivor, who travels daily from a town in South 24 Parganas and is politically active on campus, told police that she had visited the college to fill out an exam form. After most students had left, she and a few others were asked by Mishra to stay back in the student union room, where she was offered biscuits and a leadership position.
When she declined, the situation escalated.
“I even touched his feet, begging to be let go, but they dragged me to the guards’ room,” she said in her complaint. “They forcibly undressed and raped me. They recorded everything and threatened to release the videos if I spoke out.”
She also reported being hit with a hockey stick when she resisted. Her plea to be taken to a hospital during a panic attack was denied, though they allowed her to use an inhaler she had in her bag. Around 10.50 pm, the accused let her go. She immediately contacted her father, who took her home.
The following day, she filed a complaint at Kasba police station. Her initial medical examination was conducted at Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime & Traffic), Rupesh Kumar, confirmed the arrests and said statements from witnesses had been recorded. Additional Commissioner Santosh Pandey and South Suburban Division Deputy Commissioner Bidisha Kalita inspected the scene on Friday.
Mishra and Ahmed were arrested near Kasba police station on Thursday evening; Mukherjee was detained from his home just past midnight on Friday. Police have seized their mobile phones amid suspicion the crime was recorded, and the crime scene has been secured for forensic investigation.
All three were produced in Alipore court on Friday and remanded to police custody until July 1. “The medical findings are consistent with the survivor’s account,” said public prosecutor Sourin Ghosal.
The college administration has acknowledged moral responsibility, even though the incident occurred over three hours after classes ended. Calcutta University Vice-Chancellor Santa Datta De has asked the teacher-in-charge for a full report, and the university will set up a fact-finding panel by Tuesday.
Kolkata Police later released a statement praising the prompt action of the local police and underlined the sensitivity with which the investigation is being handled.
“The investigation is being conducted with utmost seriousness, professionalism and sensitivity,” the statement read. “We urge the public and digital platforms not to circulate unverified content, which may impede the judicial process or harm the survivor’s dignity.”
