KOLKATA: In a chilling case that has sent shockwaves across Kolkata, a 24-year-old law student was allegedly raped on campus by Monojit ‘Mango’ Mishra, a former student leader, while two of his accomplices filmed the act in an attempt to blackmail her into silence.
The incident occurred on the evening of June 25 inside a room used by the college’s security guard. According to the survivor’s complaint, she contacted her father to pick her up soon after the horrifying ordeal. Meanwhile, the three accused — Monojit Mishra, Pramit Mukhopadhyay, and Zaib Ahmed — quickly fled the scene.
Sources in the Kolkata Police revealed that Monojit was confident the victim would not report the assault due to the video recording, which he intended to use as leverage. “He believed the threat of the video being circulated would keep her from going to the police,” a senior officer said.
To ensure she hadn’t filed a complaint, Monojit allegedly asked his friends to keep watch on the nearby Kasba Police Station. The very next day, he contacted a college staff member to inquire whether police had visited the campus. Realising the police were closing in, he desperately sought help from lawyer friends and senior college associates, but none responded.
On June 26, Monojit and Zaib met near Ballygunge Railway Station, where police tracked and arrested them. Pramit was arrested later that night from his residence.
During interrogation, the accused reportedly admitted that Monojit had been fixated on the survivor since she joined the college. Known by his nickname “Mango” on campus, Monojit was previously an influential figure, heading the Trinamool Congress (TMC) youth wing and later working as a contractual employee. His political connections allegedly allowed him to wield unchecked power within the college.
Zaib and Pramit told police that Monojit had made repeated advances toward the survivor, which she rejected. In retaliation, he allegedly planned the assault as revenge. Investigators say he even offered her the position of general secretary in the student union — a post that held no actual legitimacy, as the college has had no functional student body for years — to lure her to stay back on campus.
“Two days before the incident, Monojit had informed the others that the girl would be on campus to submit an exam form and instructed them to detain her until evening,” a source told The Times of India.
Forensic teams have now recovered key evidence from the crime scene, including a bedsheet from the security guard’s room where the crime was committed. These items are being sent for detailed forensic analysis.
Adding to the gravity of the case, police confirmed that Monojit has a disturbing criminal history. He has 11 previous cases registered against him, many involving harassment and misconduct towards women. Shockingly, he was out on bail at the time of this latest assault.
The case has ignited public outrage, with widespread calls for justice and stricter scrutiny of individuals in positions of power on college campuses. Police investigations are ongoing, and the authorities have assured swift action in ensuring that justice is served.
