Post by : Anis Farhan

Kolkata police have taken swift action following the alleged rape of a student within the premises of South Calcutta Law College earlier this week. Based on the victim’s complaint, authorities arrested three individuals: former student and ex-TMCP unit president Manojit Mishra (31), current student Zaib Ahmed (19), and staff member Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20).

According to the FIR, the victim visited the college on Wednesday afternoon to complete admission formalities and sat inside the student union room before the attack allegedly occurred in the campus security guard’s room. The main accused is said to have locked the main gate to prevent escape, while the co-accused allegedly facilitated the crime.

All three were taken into custody on Thursday evening: Mishra and Ahmed were detained near Siddhartha Shankar Udyan, while Mukhopadhyay was arrested from his residence by 12:30 am on Friday. Police seized the accused’s mobile phones, setting the stage for forensic examination.

Authorities confirmed that the victim underwent a medical examination and her statement was recorded. Witness interviews have begun, and the crime scene has been preserved for forensic evidence gathering . The accused were produced before the Alipore court, which granted police custody through next Tuesday to facilitate further investigation.

The incident triggered sharp political backlash. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted that a TMC-linked individual was involved, adding that “crimes against women continue unabated in West Bengal,” and blamed the state government for nurturing an unsafe environment. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari accused the Kolkata police of negligence, alleging forces were distracted at Rath Yatra in Digha when the crime occurred. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim called the incident “extremely serious” and pledged to seek details from police soon.

This allegation at an academic institution underscores a troubling trend. Disturbing crime reports from educational campuses have sparked widespread protests—including those by doctors in West Bengal following the August rape‑murder in a medical college—highlighting systemic gaps in the safety of female students nationwide.

Police have indicated that the next steps include comprehensive phone data analysis and review of CCTV footage to establish timelines and roles. The investigation’s outcome, including charges and legal strategy, will follow the forensic and testimonial findings.