A shocking incident of alleged gang rape within the premises of a law college in South Kolkata's Kasba area has sent ripples of concern across the city, once again bringing student safety in educational institutions to the forefront. Three individuals, including two current students and one former student of the college, were arrested on Thursday night in connection with the horrific crime.
Details of incident and swift police action
The alleged incident occurred on June 25, between 7:30 PM and 8:50 PM, inside the Kasba Law College campus. According to police sources, the victim, a female student, promptly filed a complaint after the assault. Acting swiftly on her statement, Kasba Police took all three accused into custody on June 26.
Police officials have initiated a comprehensive investigation into the matter and are currently examining CCTV footage from the college premises to gather further evidence. The college administration has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the incident, drawing criticism from various quarters regarding accountability and campus security.
Arrests and ongoing investigation
Sources reveal that the two current students, identified as Zaib Ahmed (19 yrs.) and Manojit Mishra (31 yrs.), were apprehended from the Talbagan area on Thursday evening, following the victim's complaint. Their interrogation subsequently led to the arrest of the third individual, Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20 years old), identified as a former student of the same institution, from his residence in the early hours of Friday, June 27. The mobile phones of all three accused have been seized.
A police officer stated that all the accused have been arrested, adding that the main accused is believed to be the ex-student, and the investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of involvement of the other two.
Trinamool student leader among those arrested
The court has remanded all three accused in the Kasba Law College gangrape case to police custody until Tuesday. Among those arrested is Manoneet Mishra, reportedly a leader of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP). The arrests were made after a female student filed a complaint alleging she was gangraped on the college premises on June 25. The three accused were produced before the Learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), Alipore, South 24 Parganas, where the police sought custody to carry out a detailed investigation.
Medical and forensic investigation underway
Following the filing of the complaint, the victim was immediately taken to Chittaranjan National Medical College and Hospital for a medical examination. A forensic team is expected to visit the crime scene to collect vital evidence that could support the investigation.
Political reactions
Reacting to the incident, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya termed the event "horrific." Referencing the recent RG Kar Hospital incident, Malviya stated that crimes against women continue unabated in West Bengal. He affirmed the BJP's solidarity with the victim's family and commitment to ensuring justice for all accused.
Recurrence of such crimes sparks outrage
This disturbing incident comes less than a year after another high-profile case of sexual assault in a Kolkata educational institution, where a post-graduate trainee at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was tragically raped and killed within the hospital premises on the intervening night of August 8 and 9 last year.
The recurrence of such heinous crimes within educational settings underscores the urgent need for stringent security measures and a robust system to ensure the safety and well-being of students across all institutions in the city.
(Inputs from Onkar)
