South Calcutta Law College shuts indefinitely amid student rape protests

Protests continued on Monday in Kolkata’s Kasba area over the alleged gang rape of a female student inside the South Calcutta Law College campus. Students and alumni from 10 to 12 law colleges gathered and marched from Kasba Police Station to the college with placards, demanding strict punishment for the accused and enhanced campus security. Many of the protestors are currently practising law.

The South Calcutta Law College has been declared closed for an indefinite period. A notice regarding the suspension of classes was issued by the college authorities on Sunday. Current students also staged demonstrations on campus, citing safety concerns. A group of students assembled to submit a deputation to the Vice-Chancellor but said they were unable to meet him. Police, including female personnel, were deployed outside the campus. Entry to the union room and guard room was restricted.

The students alleged that the accused had previously misbehaved with several women on college premises and at picnics, and that he had lured female students with promises of student body positions. One student, Debdyuti Sengupta, said, “We have gathered from first to fifth year. We feel unsafe in our own college. The Vice-Chancellor has informed us that he will not be coming.” Another student, Zoya Alam, stated, “Our guards don’t check anyone’s ID. No seminars have been held for a long time.” Rukeya Dasgupta said, “We want security and proper academic functioning. We are here to study.”

According to the complaint, the rape took place on June 25 between 7:30 PM and 10:50 PM inside the campus. The survivor stated that the assault began in the union room and continued in the guard room. The police have arrested four people in connection with the case. The main accused is a former student and temporary college employee, who also holds a leadership position in the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad. Two others named in the complaint and the guard on duty that evening have also been taken into custody.

A nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Assistant Commissioner (South Suburban Division) Pradip Kumar Ghoshal has been formed to probe the incident. Officers have recovered over seven hours of CCTV footage from the college premises. On Monday afternoon, a four-member BJP fact-finding team planned a visit to the college but was not granted police permission to enter the premises.