Is the Kolkata Law Student Rape Case Being Overlooked by Authorities?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Allegations of negligence against college authorities in a rape case.
- Concerns about police investigation procedures and accountability.
- Political influence in university administration and its implications.
- Importance of protecting student rights in educational institutions.
- Call for justice and thorough investigation.
Kolkata, July 8 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) fact-finding team investigating the rape of a law student on her college campus in Kasba, Kolkata last month has released a report accusing the college's governing body of protecting one of the three accused individuals, disregarding his criminal past.
The four-member investigative committee visited Kolkata earlier this month as part of their inquiry.
They presented their findings to BJP President J.P. Nadda on Tuesday.
The report asserts that the governing body of South Calcutta Law College (new campus) played a role, both directly and indirectly, in enabling Monojit Mishra, one of the main suspects, to engage in unlawful activities on campus.
The fact-finding team claims that the governing body, led by its President and Trinamool Congress legislator Ashok Kumar Deb, hired Mishra as a contractual employee at a daily wage of Rs 500, despite his history of violence, including grievous injury to others with sharp weapons, assaulting junior students, and even sexually harassing female classmates.
“He had been incarcerated four to five times prior to this latest rape incident. The college administration was fully aware of these facts. However, due to his affiliation with the Trinamool Congress, he was appointed and permitted to act freely within the institution,” the report states.
Additionally, the fact-finding team raised concerns regarding the police investigation, noting that the initial FIR referred to the three accused—Mishra, Jaib Ahmed, and Pramit Mukhopadhyay—only by their initials rather than their full names.
“The committee is deeply skeptical about the police's handling of the case. The true perpetrator could be a powerful Trinamool Congress figure, and law enforcement may be attempting to divert attention from the actual mastermind by emphasizing this individual’s involvement,” the report highlighted.
The investigation team also questioned why Pinaki Banerjee, a college guard, is listed as an accused when he was identified as the “sole helpless witness” by the victim in her police report filed immediately following the sexual assault on the evening of June 25.