She ran through the doors built to protect,

Yet the walls watched in quiet neglect,

Injured, but unbroken – she stands,

Awaiting justice’s unwavering hands.

Introduction

From Mathura to Nirbhaya, from Kathua to Hathras, India has witnessed a horrifying pattern of sexual violence which not only leads survivors devastated but also shakes the country’s conscience. Outrage has been erupted in each case. They all demanded justice. However, the headlines eventually fade, the outcry slowed down, and the system falls dormant once again.

On June 25, 2025, the rape case at Kolkata Law College has come to light as a troubling reminder that even our educational institutions, where law is taught, may turn into crime scene. A law student in Kolkata was allegedly gang-raped inside her college premises. The crime, described by investigators as premeditated has raised serious questions about campus security, the role of student politics, and the efficiency of law enforcement.

How did a place of learning become a theatre of horror? What does the law owe to survivors when institutions fail? Can justice stand tall when power protects the guilty?

Let’s look beyond the headlines to understand legal, institutional and human aspects of this tragedy.

The Accused and Their Background

Four people have been arrested in the Kolkata Law College rape case so far, according to official declarations and reliable media reports. Three students are accused of carrying out the assault, while one campus watchman is accused of helping them by permitting entry and failing to stop them.
Their profiles reveal a concerning relationship between institutional complicity, student politics, and familiarity with the campus.

Monojit “Mango” Mishra

Identified as the prime accused, Monojit Mishra is a law student and reportedly a prominent member of Trinamool College Chhatra Parishad, the student wing of the ruling party in West Bengal, since 2017.

Infamous for exerting influence over campus affairs, especially over fresh students.

Accused of planning the crime and personally taking part in the assault.

According to The Indian Express, Mishra had a history for prior misconduct and intimidation, though no formal convictions are recorded.

Zaib Ahmed

A fellow law student and close companion of Mishra:

Allegedly helped the prime accused in trapping and confining the survivor in an isolated area.

Mentioned in the survivor’s statement and identified through CCTV footage.

Pramit Mukherjee

Another student of the law college accused of direct involvement:

Allegedly participated in the assault and recorded videos of the act to threaten the survivor.

Arrested on the same day as Mishra and Ahmed.

Pinaki Banerjee (The Campus Watchman)

Police have also arrested the college’s night watchman:

He is charged with knowingly neglecting the crime in progress and permitting the accused to enter restricted areas.

Investigators allege he knew about the assault for hours but did nothing to notify the police or stop it.

His arrest highlights institutional shortcomings and possible conspiracy that enabled the crime to continue undetected.

“Silence empowers the predator. Voices empower the survivor.”

Disclaimer: The information above is based on police statements and media coverage. All accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Timeline of the Incident

1. Admission & Targeting

According to the reports, the accused began targeting the survivor soon after she took admission in the law college. Monojit’s oft- used pick-up line for women on campus was "tui amay biye korbi?" (Will you marry me?)". He used the same line when he first approached the 24-year- survivor of the campus rape.

2. The Day of the Crime (June 25, 2025)

The survivor was drugged to an isolated area of the campus, where she was allegedly gang-raped over several hours and smashed her head with a hockey stick.

CCTV footage reportedly captured the movement of the accused and the survivor across the college premises.

The accused also allegedly filmed the assault and threatened the survivor to have her boyfriend arrested if she spoke out.

3. Initial Response

An FIR was registered the same day, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) made up of nine members was constituted.

Forensic teams recovered the survivor’s clothes, the hockey stick allegedly used to threaten her, and other evidence for DNA profiling.

Kolkata Police is now searching for mobile videos that were possibly recorded by the accused.

4. Arrests and Custody

Three accused were arrested and remanded to police custody till July 1, 2025.

The survivor’s statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure corroborated the allegations and matched forensic evidence and CCTV footage.

5. Public and Institutional Reactions

The National Commission for Women (NCW) led by Archana Majumdar visited the college and criticized police non-cooperation. "Police told us they had no idea about the whereabouts of the victim or where she is," Majumdar said.

A Calcutta High Court lawyer wrote to Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam urging him to take suo motu cognisance and transfer the probe to the CBI.

Political parties issued statements condemning the incident and accusing each other of negligence.

In a social media post, the Bharatiya Janata Party said, “In 2013, within a year of joining college (2012), Manojit stabbed a fellow student in the chest. He then vanished for three years. No arrest was made. No action was taken. In 2017 he reappeared at this Kolkata law college and was accused of vandalism. An FIR was filed. The police initiated a probe. But still no arrest was made. In 2022, a first-year girl student filed a complaint of sexual harassment, threats, extortion, and ragging at Kasba Police Station. Police looked away. Once again — no arrest. In 2025: Four years after passing out, he still roamed freely in the college. Posing as a recruiter for TMC’s student wing, he gang-raped a student, filmed the act, smashed a hockey stick on her head, and threatened to kill her boyfriend and arrest her parents if she spoke out. A rapist. A violent criminal. A political pawn. Manojit Misra is not just an individual failure — he is a symbol of how TMC and police together bred a beast under state protection. For 12 years, this man destroyed lives with impunity, aided by a system that looked the other way — or worse — walked alongside him.”

Applicable Legal Provisions

The allegations, if proven, will attract stringent provisions of Indian criminal law, including:

Gang Rape

Section 376D, Indian Penal Code (IPC) or corresponding provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (effective from July 1, 2025), prescribing rigorous imprisonment of not less than 20 years, extendable to life.

Criminal Intimidation

Section 506 IPC: Threatening injury to person to cause fear.

Assault or Criminal Force

Section 354 IPC: Assault or use of criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty.

Unlawful Confinement

Section 342 IPC: Wrongful confinement of the survivor during the prolonged assault.

Additionally, if the accused recorded the crime without consent, provisions under the Information Technology Act, 2000 could also be invoked for distribution or retention of obscene content.

Key Legal and Institutional Issues Raised

1. Campus Safety and Institutional Liability

How did such a premeditated crime occur within a college campus with CCTV surveillance and security personnel?

Can the institution be held accountable for negligence under principles of vicarious liability?

2. Role of Student Politics

Reports suggest the accused were associated with a student political organization.

Political patronage can encourage criminals and obstruct fair investigations.

3. Need for Judicial Oversight

Demands for a CBI investigation highlights public distrust in local police handling of politically sensitive cases.

Suo motu intervention by the High Court can ensure transparency and restore faith in the justice system.

4. Trauma-Informed Investigation

Although swift arrests are admirable, police must ensure the survivor's safety, dignity, and access to therapy. This includes protecting her identity, providing counselling and medical care, and preventing any intimidation by the accused or their associates.

Conclusion

The rape case at Kolkata Law College is not a unique instance; rather, it is a sign of more serious systemic problems with India's criminal justice system and educational institutions. It is crucial that institutional enablers who failed to protect a young lady pursuing her education are held accountable as the judicial process progresses, in addition to the individual offenders.

This case must serve as a catalyst for urgent reforms in campus safety protocols, robust enforcement of sexual harassment laws, and depoliticization of student bodies.

At LexEdge India, we will continue tracking developments and providing analysis rooted in law and justice.