Protests erupt outside Kasba Police station as 3 arrested in alleged Kolkata college gang rape

In a shocking incident that has once again put student safety in Kolkata's educational institutions under scrutiny, a female law student was allegedly gang-raped within the premises of South Kolkata Law College. Kasba Police have swiftly arrested three individuals in connection with the horrific crime. One of the accused, Manojit Mishra (31), identified as a former student and employee, is also the general secretary of the South Kolkata district of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the student wing of the ruling Trinamool Congress. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation and triggered protests by various political and student organizations, including the BJP, Congress, Students' Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), and All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) outside the Kasba Police Station, demanding justice for the victim.

Based on the victim's written complaint, an FIR was registered without delay, and within just 12 hours of the report, all three accused were apprehended. Besides Manojit Mishra, the other two arrested are current students of the college, identified as Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20). The victim's complaint details that the brutal assault took place on June 25, between 7:30 PM and 10:50 PM, inside the college campus, reportedly within a guard's room. She underwent a physical examination at the Kolkata National Medical College, Park Circus. The accused were produced in Alipore court on Friday and remanded to four days of police custody.

The swift arrests by Kasba Police, with two apprehended on Wednesday evening near Talbagan crossing and the third arrested from his residence around 10 PM, underscore the seriousness with which the case is being pursued. Police have seized the mobile phones of all three accused for forensic analysis. The crime scene has been inspected and cordoned off, with forensic teams collecting samples, while questions are being raised about the presence and role of college security guards during the incident. This case draws chilling parallels to the RG Kar Medical College incident, where allegations of rape and murder had similarly rocked the city.

The alleged involvement of a TMC-affiliated individual has intensified the political storm, with opposition parties like BJP and Congress launching sharp attacks on the ruling Trinamool Congress, questioning law and order and campus safety in West Bengal. While the Trinamool Congress has condemned the assault and called for strict action, the demonstrations by various political and student groups highlight the widespread public demand for accountability and justice in this heinous crime.