All four accused in the gangrape of a 24-year-old law student at South Calcutta Law College were presented in Alipore court. The incident has triggered statewide outrage and judicial scrutiny.
Kolkata: Today, on July 22, all four accused in the alleged gang rape case of a 24-year-old law student inside South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata’s Kasba area were presented before the Alipore court on Tuesday.
The incident took place on June 25, when the female student was allegedly raped inside the college premises.
The accused in the case have been identified as Manojit Mishra, Zaib Ahmed, Pramit Mukhopadhyay, and a security guard named Pinaki.
During the court hearing, Manojit Mishra’s lawyer, Raju Ganguly, raised serious concerns regarding his client’s condition in police custody.
He alleged that Manojit was not being given proper food and water, which is affecting his health. He also said that Manojit is being forced to confess to the crime.
Mr. Ganguly stated,
“He is being forced to admit his crime in front of the magistrate. We have put 38 applications. We have mentioned the name of two lawyers that when Manojit is interrogated in Court that day, our two advocates will be present. This application is allowed. Under Article 21 we have said that he requires basic facilities in jail, like a blanket and, mosquito net. This application has also been allowed. He has been sent to judicial custody till August 5. The third application is that when he is brought to lock up, we do not get enough time to talk to him. We have requested that the jailer give us two to three hours to talk to him, and that has been allowed.”
Mr. Ganguly added,
“Today we represented Manojit Mishra. We submitted 3 applications before the court, which did not include a bail application. We have repeatedly stated that we will continue to assist the prosecution… During interrogation in jail, pressure is being put on him to admit that he committed this crime.”
However, Kolkata Police Chief Prosecutor Sourin Ghoshal disagreed with the defense lawyer’s statements. He clarified that the defense did submit a bail petition, contrary to their claim.
According to Mr. Ghoshal,
“Those people filed 3 petitions on behalf of the accused. By filing the first petition, they said that you should tell the jailer that lawyers will come and conduct an interview, so arrangements should be made for this. We said that this power rests with the jailer West Bengal Correctional Homes Act. The second petition was they demanded some facilities for the accused, and we said that this would also be facilitated by the jailer. They had given a bail petition, but he has been sent to judicial custody. We will try to give the chargesheet soon.”
This alleged incident of gang rape happened on June 25 at the law college in Kasba, a locality in Kolkata. The victim, a 24-year-old law student, had earlier approached the authorities regarding threats, but allegedly no action was taken.
On July 10, the West Bengal government submitted a sealed progress report on the case to the Calcutta High Court.
The case diary, along with the victim’s statement recorded under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and her medical records, was also presented to a division bench of Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das De.
The court reviewed the documents and directed that a copy of the progress report be handed over to the victim’s advocate, but also made it clear that it must not be shared publicly without court permission.
The victim’s family, through their lawyer, said they were satisfied with the investigation being done by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kolkata Police.
The police also submitted a separate report explaining why local officers allegedly failed to respond earlier when the victim had complained about threats.
Earlier, on July 10, the West Bengal government submitted a sealed progress report on the investigation of the gang rape case to the Calcutta High Court.
This report was submitted before a division bench comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das De. Along with the report, the case diary was also placed before the bench.
The bench took note of the statement given by the victim under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), as well as the medical examination records.
The court issued a clear instruction regarding the report, stating that
“a copy of the progress report be handed to the victim’s advocate,”
but also warned that the report must not be disclosed to anyone without the court’s permission. The court’s direction specifically stated that
“strictly barring its disclosure without prior court permission.”
The victim’s family, through their legal representative, told the court that they were satisfied with the current status of the investigation, which is being handled by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police.
“The victim’s family, through counsel, expressed satisfaction with the investigation led by Kolkata Police’s SIT.”
The police also submitted an explanation in court regarding the alleged inaction by local police officers, who reportedly ignored earlier complaints and threats made against the victim.
The police said that the primary accused – Manojit, Zaib, and Pramit – were arrested within 12 hours of the case being registered.
“Kolkata Police said that the three main accused in the case were arrested in less than 12 hours.”
The Alipore court had initially remanded them to police custody till July 5. The fourth accused, security guard Pinaki, was sent to custody till July 4.
The incident has sparked public outrage, with multiple Public Interest Litigations (PILs) being filed in the Calcutta High Court demanding strict action and transparency in the investigation.
The High Court also questioned the state government on various aspects related to the case, including the accountability of the college administration.
The bench asked the state why the college governing body had not been made a party in the case, highlighting an important concern over institutional responsibility.
“The court also questioned why the governing body of the college was not included in the case.”
As the investigation progresses, the court has made it clear that it will continue to monitor the case closely. The confidentiality of the victim and the sensitivity of the case are being treated with utmost importance by the judiciary.
Background Of The Case
The alleged gang rape of the 24-year-old student at South Calcutta Law College adds to a troubling pattern of crimes against women in West Bengal, particularly within educational institutions. This is not an isolated incident.
Nearly ten months ago, in August 2024, the city witnessed another horrific crime when a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
That incident had already raised grave concerns about the safety of women within campuses and public institutions in Kolkata.
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