In Kolkata, the legal proceedings are moving forward in the case of the alleged gang rape of a law student, with three accused individuals and a security guard scheduled to be produced in court. The authorities, led by Commissioner of Police Manoj Verma, have stated that a comprehensive investigation is underway, with investigators analyzing a substantial amount of data.
The Kolkata Police have also issued a stern warning against any attempts to reveal the identity of the survivor in the Kasba case, emphasizing that strict legal action will be taken against any violations. This warning comes amidst reports that some individuals are attempting to disclose the victim's identity through the circulation of confidential documents or other unlawful means.
According to police reports, the assault on the woman was pre-planned by three of the four arrested individuals. The police have seized materials from the crime scene at South Kolkata Law College, including items from the union room, guard's room, and bathroom, and have sent them for forensic examination. A 1.5-minute video clip of the alleged torture has also been sent for forensic testing. The video clip was recovered from the mobile phone of the primary accused, Monojit Mishra.
DNA samples have been collected from the three accused as part of the ongoing investigation. Searches were conducted at the residences of the accused, Mukherjee and Ahmed. Investigators are looking for footage related to this and possibly other incidents. According to police, the accused would record such incidents on their mobile phones and later use the footage to blackmail the victims. Police are trying to determine whether video clips of the alleged gang rape were shared with others.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has compiled a list of over 25 people, mostly students of South Calcutta Law College, who were present at the educational institution on the evening of the incident. These individuals will be questioned as part of the investigation to determine what they witnessed.
The fourth accused in the case is the security guard of the law college. The 24-year-old victim was allegedly raped by two senior students and an alumnus of the institute in the guard's room. Following the complaint, police arrested the prime accused, Manojit Mishra, Promit Mukherjee, and Zaid Ahmed.
Following the incident, a team from the National Commission for Women, led by Dr. Archana Majumdar, visited the Law College in Kolkata. Tensions arose when police stopped a BJP protest march to the college and detained several leaders, including the party's West Bengal unit chief, Sukanta Majumdar. The BJP has accused the state government of failing to ensure campus safety and has demanded swift action against the culprits. The BJP national president, JP Nadda, has formed a four-member committee to investigate the matter.
Activist Varsha Mishra stated that the 24-year-old law student was brutally assaulted for three hours, raped, and videotaped after she refused to marry one of the accused. The accused also threatened to make the video live.