Student raped in Kolkata law college, ex-TMC student leader among 3 arrested

Mishra, the prime accused, was a former student of the law college and is currently employed in the institution as a contractual staffer, officials said. While he was a Trinamool Chhatra Parishad leader during his time as a student, the TMC claimed he is no longer associated with the party. The two other accused are currently studying in the law college.

The case has been lodged under BNS sections 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 70(1) (gangrape), and 3(5) (common intention in criminal acts).

According to police sources, the 24-year-old woman had gone to the students’ union room around 4 pm on Wednesday, after which she was taken to another room by the accused. There, she was allegedly locked inside and sexually assaulted. She later narrated the incident to her family, who prompted her to lodge a complaint, officials said.

Police said Mishra allegedly sexually assaulted the woman while the other two locked the door from the outside. According to police, the woman said in her complaint that she then had a panic attack and suffered from shortness of breath, after which she asked for and got an inhaler from the accused. She also alleged in her complaint that the accused threatened her not to tell anyone about the incident, and that they tried to hit her with a hockey stick.

Kolkata’s Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rupesh Kumar said Mishra and Ahmed were arrested on Thursday evening, and Mukherjee on Friday, soon after midnight. Police have seized the phones of all three accused.

An officer said, “She alleged that the three accused forced her into the guardroom on the ground floor of the college building, where the sexual assault took place between 7.30 pm and 10.50 pm on Wednesday.”

“A preliminary medical examination of the victim has been conducted. Witnesses have been examined and their statements recorded. The scene of the alleged crime has been visited and secured, pending forensic examination,” the officer said.

The three accused have been produced before a court, which remanded them to four-day police custody.

Mishra’s lawyer called the allegations baseless and claimed “he is being framed because of a political tussle”.

The Kolkata police appealed to the public to refrain from circulating unverified or misleading content related to the incident.

The police said in a post on X, “An FIR was registered without delay, and within 12 hours, all three accused named in the complaint were apprehended. They have been remanded to police custody till July 1. The investigation is being pursued with utmost seriousness, professionalism, and sensitivity. We appeal to the public and digital platforms to refrain from circulating unverified or misleading content that could hinder the judicial process or compromise the dignity of those involved.”

The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident. NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written to the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, expressing concern and directing an immediate, time-bound investigation.

“She has also stressed the need to extend full medical, psychological, and legal assistance to the victim, along with compensation under section 396 of BNSS. The Commission has sought a detailed action-taken report within 3 days,” read a statement by NCW.

The incident has also triggered a political storm in the state. The TMC said in a social media post that the “full weight of the law” would be brought on those found guilty.

“We unequivocally condemn the tragic rape incident… Kolkata police have swiftly apprehended all three accused, and the full weight of the law will be brought to bear, ensuring the most severe measures are imposed on those found guilty. This tragedy once again underscores the urgent need for the implementation of the Aparajita Anti-Rape Bill to establish a strong deterrent against sexual offences, emphasising the necessity for speedy investigations, swift trials, and stringent punishments,” it said.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said, “The entire police force is in Digha. What are they doing there? CM Mamata Banerjee has taken the entire Kolkata Police to Digha. What do you expect from such a government? She has no right to be CM of the state.”