Kolkata rape case: Prime accused had history of harassing women
What's the story
The main accused in the alleged gang-rape of a 24-year-old student at South Calcutta Law College, Monojit Mishra, has a long history of criminal cases. The police records show that he has been involved in multiple offenses, including assault, theft, and property damage. He was arrested along with two others for the rape of the student and will remain in police custody till July 1.
Past offenses
Accused has cases registered in Kalighat, Kasba, Tollygunge police
Per reports, Mishra, who was the organizing secretary of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad's South Kolkata district unit, has been named in several cases at Kalighat, Kasba, Alipore, Haridevpur, and Tollygunge police stations. He was expelled from the Trinamool unit of South Calcutta Law College in 2021. A senior police officer told The Telegraph that Mishra is a "history-sheeter with several cases and chargesheets against him."
Campus behavior
Ex-students say he bullied and harassed girls on campus
Former students have accused Mishra of harassing many girls on campus. Debolina Das, a former student, told CNN-News18 that Mishra was known for bullying and misconduct. "He used to call girls to the union room, drink alcohol there, and even kidnap juniors," she said. A college insider also told The Times of India that Mishra morphed pictures of girls and circulated them among friends.
Other incidents
Accused involved in multiple cases
In 2017, Mishra was arrested for violence and assault in the Kalighat area. Police records also show a case from July 2019, when he allegedly tore a woman's clothes inside South Calcutta Law College, The Telegraph reported. A chargesheet was later filed in the case. He was also accused of stealing a gold chain, perfume, a music system, and spectacles from a friend's home in Haridevpur on New Year's Eve. An FIR was filed in January, and police charged him.
Who is
Mishra graduated from South Calcutta Law College in 2022
Mishra graduated from South Calcutta Law College in 2022. He had been working at the college as a temporary employee for the past six or seven months on the order of the college's governing council, which is headed by Trinamool MLA Ashok Deb. On the day of the crime, the victim had gone to the college for examination-related formalities. There, Mishra allegedly forced the victim into the security guard's room and assaulted her while the two accused students filmed it.
Rape case
Victim went for exam-related work; incident happened on campus
The alleged gang-rape incident took place on June 25 between 7:30pm and 8:50pm at South Calcutta Law College. According to the victim, she was raped by Mishra for rejecting his marriage proposal. Apart from Mishra, Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), both third-semester students, as well as a college security guard, have also been arrested in connection with this case.