Two months after the alleged gang rape of a law student on her college campus in Kolkata, police have filed a charge sheet against four individuals. The charge sheet, consisting of 658 pages, was submitted to the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Alipore.
The accused named in the charge sheet are Monojit Mishra, the prime accused and an alumnus of the college, along with Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee, who are students of the same college, and Pinaki Banerjee, the security guard. Mishra was a former temporary staffer at the college, a position from which he was terminated following the allegations. Ahmed and Mukherjee were expelled from the institution. All four are currently in judicial custody.
The charges against the accused include gang rape, wrongful confinement, kidnapping with the intention to cause harm, hiding evidence, and misleading the investigation. These charges are based on technical, scientific, and circumstantial evidence. According to police sources, the chargesheet outlines three key pieces of forensic and digital evidence: * DNA match: Forensic examination confirmed that the DNA of Monojit Mishra matched samples collected from the survivor's clothing. * Video evidence: Mobile phone footage retrieved from the three accused shows the act of sexual assault, clearly establishing their direct involvement. * CCTV footage: Surveillance cameras installed in and around the law college captured the movements of the accused and the victim, including footage of the victim being led into the guard's room against her will.
The investigation included recording the testimonies of 80 people. The incident allegedly occurred on June 25 at the South Calcutta Law College campus. The victim alleged that she was raped after she rejected a marriage proposal from Mishra. Mishra was also allegedly the "unofficial head" of the Trinamool Congress's (TMC) student wing on the campus. However, the TMCP has maintained that it has had no association with Mishra for the past two years.
The filing of the charge sheet comes after the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government to submit a status report on the investigation. The court also took note of concerns expressed in petitions regarding "deep-rooted institutional negligence and administrative apathy".
The case sparked outrage and raised concerns about women's safety in colleges and universities across West Bengal. The college administration has been directed to submit its constitution to the court. The police have also submitted a report on why local officers allegedly did not take any preventive measures despite having been informed of threats made against the victim.
