Calcutta High Court reviews sealed progress report on law student’s gang rape; next hearing on July 17. Court seeks answers on campus security lapses and alleged political links.
Kolkata: Today, on July 10, the West Bengal government has submitted a sealed progress report to the Calcutta High Court regarding the ongoing investigation into the alleged gang rape of a female law student at South Calcutta Law College.
The case involves serious accusations against an alumnus and two senior students, who allegedly committed the crime on the college campus.
A division bench led by Justice Soumen Sen and also comprising Justice Smita Das De reviewed the progress report and the case diary submitted by the Kolkata Police.
The report, which outlines the investigation’s current status, was handed over in a sealed envelope to the court.
The bench ordered that a copy of this report be given to the lawyer representing the survivor’s family. However, the court strictly instructed:
“not to divulge the content of the report to anyone.”
The judges have asked the state government to continue with the investigation and submit another updated report after four weeks. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for July 17.
Earlier, on July 3, the High Court had directed the state to file an affidavit outlining the investigation’s progress and to submit the official case diary.
This came in response to three public interest litigations (PILs) filed concerning the incident, which occurred within the law college premises on June 25.
One of the petitioners had raised several alarming questions about the incident, to which the court had asked the state government to respond.
The court had specifically directed:
“The state to reply to these questions in the form of a report on the next date of hearing.”
Among the issues raised were concerns over how the accused alumnus managed to enter the college premises after hours, violating access control systems.
The court asked:
“How a former student was permitted entry into the college premises after official hours in violation of access control protocols and how staff members were present on campus long past college hours without any official purpose or administrative supervision.”
Additionally, the state government was questioned about the security arrangements at the college. The court directed the state to explain:
“What monitoring or security measures were in place to prevent or detect unauthorised access to the college building.”
Another serious concern brought up by a petitioner was the alleged negligence of the college administration and local police.
According to the petitioner, they were informed about threats made against the victim before the incident but did not take any preventive action.
The petition stated that:
“The college administration and the local police did not take preventive action, despite having been allegedly informed of threats to the victim.”
One of the petitioners has urged the court to transfer the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
This plea includes a request for the CBI to conduct a “preliminary enquiry” and file an interim report before the court.
The petitioner also raised concerns about political interference in the case, stating:
“Claiming that main accused Manojit Mishra has proximity with the ruling political party in the state,”
and therefore requested the case be handed over to the CBI
“for an impartial probe.”
The other petitioners asked the court to supervise the investigation and also urged for stronger security measures to be implemented in all colleges across West Bengal.
As per the student’s complaint, the alleged gang rape took place inside South Kolkata Law College on June 25.
Following her FIR, police arrested four people: the main accused alumnus Manojit Mishra, and students Promit Mukherjee and Zaid Ahmed, along with a college guard, who was also later apprehended. All four accused are currently in judicial custody.
Earlier Today
On June 25, a first-year student of South Calcutta Law College was allegedly gang-raped inside the college guard room. According to her complaint, she had gone to the college around noon to fill out examination forms and was waiting in the student union room.
The main accused, Manojit Mishra—reportedly linked to the youth wing of the Trinamool Congress (TMC)—allegedly instructed that the main gate be locked, and then assaulted her in the security guard room.
The victim claimed that Mishra had earlier pressured her to marry him, and when she refused citing her existing relationship, he threatened to harm her boyfriend and falsely implicate her parents, before forcibly confining and raping her.
She also alleged that the co-accused, Promit Mukherjee and Zaid Ahmed, filmed the incident to blackmail her, and a college guard was later arrested for his alleged involvement. Her medical examination at a government hospital confirmed signs consistent with rape.
The case sparked massive public outrage, prompting swift action by the Kasba Police, who arrested the three main accused within 24 hours of the FIR. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police was initially formed, but later the investigation was handed over to the Detective Department of Kolkata Police.
Several Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed in the Calcutta High Court, demanding a CBI probe or a court-monitored investigation. During the hearing, the victim’s lawyer told the court that she was satisfied with the investigation so far.
The court reviewed the case diary and a sealed progress report, and ordered that a scanned copy be given to the victim’s counsel, but strictly warned: “not to divulge the content of the report to anyone.”
Meanwhile, a PIL by Vijay Kumar Singhal seeking a CBI probe was dismissed by the Court, which observed:
“We are apprehensive about the bona fide of the petitioner that while there is an accusation of partial investigation, the petitioner is now espousing the cause of the accused being ill-treated or their human rights being violated. We have a serious doubt about their bona fide and the same is dismissed.”
The Court has directed the police to submit a fresh progress report in four weeks, and the case will continue to be monitored by a Division Bench led by Justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De.
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