By Sulagna Halder
Kolkata, 29 June 2025:
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed by Kolkata Police in order to probe into the gang rape that allegedly occurred to a 24 year old law student on the campus of a well known south Kolkata college. The authorities made a decision so as to form the SIT after the public became outraged and civil society placed pressure upon them over the case.
Three people have been arrested so far, also the incident reportedly took place on Wednesday evening. Monojit Mishra or “Mango,” a non teaching staff member now, is among them, formerly a student leader at the institution. He allegedly abandoned his post during the incident, thus a 55 year old security guard has also been booked for dereliction of duty. One accused is still absconding. Based on video footage from mobile phones of the accused, police sources confirm forced sexual penetration. In order to reconstruct the timeline, multiple CCTV recordings obtained from inside of the campus are now under examination.
The case has triggered common condemnation, most especially when considering all past allegations that involve Mishra and his disturbing record of reported misconduct. Several former students reported Mishra harassed women students earlier, secretly filmed them, and publicly body shamed them. “He was a predator protected by his connections,” a former student stated, though political patronage alongside the institution’s volatile factional culture allegedly prevented anyone from acting. Several people made complaints on an informal basis, yet no one did formally discipline him.
Trinamool Congress leaders Kalyan Banerjee and Madan Mitra's comments, which were widely denounced as insensitive and misogynistic, exacerbated the political backlash. Their remarks suggested that women ought to be more accountable for their own security. TMC MP Mahua Moitra responded by harshly denouncing the party leadership, saying that "misogyny in India cuts across party lines" and that it needs to be addressed irrespective of one's political affiliation. Her comments were interpreted as a direct criticism of the way her own party handled gender issues, particularly in the student and youth wings.
The college is being criticized for not giving its students a safe environment because of its history of political violence and altercations. To date, the administration has mostly kept quiet. Now that the SIT has been established, pressure is mounting for an exhaustive and open investigation. Students have started calling for structural changes to end the culture of impunity on campus, and legal experts have called for court monitored proceedings to guarantee that justice is neither denied nor delayed.
