Was a student gang-raped at Kolkata law college after she turned down a marriage proposal?

Nearly a year after the shocking RG Kar rape case rocked Kolkata, the city is once again grappling with a brutal sexual assault — this time at a state-run law college.

A female student has alleged that she was gang-raped inside the South Calcutta Law College campus in the Kasba area on June 25, by three men, two of whom are students, and another is a college staffer with alleged links to the ruling Trinamool Congress’s student wing.

The survivor approached the police on Thursday night and lodged a formal complaint at the Kasba police station. Following her report, police have arrested all three accused. They were produced in court on Thursday and have been sent to five days of police custody.

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The accused have been identified as Manojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20).

The case has sparked a political storm in the state, with the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP trading sharp words just months ahead of the Assembly elections.

Here’s what we know so far.

What happened?

According to India Today, citing police sources, the 24-year-old woman had gone to South Calcutta Law College around noon on Wednesday, June 25, to complete some examination-related formalities.

She told police that the main accused, Manojit Mishra, had previously proposed marriage to her, but was irked when she rejected it, saying she had a boyfriend.

In her complaint, the survivor alleged that Mishra then instructed others to lock the main college gate and forcibly confined her in a room. She said he threatened to kill her and her boyfriend and even warned that he would have her parents arrested on false charges.

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“I denied and fought back by not letting him do anything and pushing him back. I cried and asked him to let me go. I told them I have a boyfriend and I love my boyfriend. But they did not agree,” she told police.

Desperate to escape, she said she pleaded with Mishra, falling at his feet and begging to be released—but her appeals were ignored.

“I touched his feet but he didn’t let me go… They again took me to the room… they took me to the guard room forcefully, undressed me and started forcefully raping me,” she wrote in her complaint.

She further said that the accused recorded videos of the assault and used them to threaten her into staying quiet. She tried to resist and flee, but was allegedly beaten with a hockey stick, causing injuries.

She told police she began experiencing a panic attack and had trouble breathing. “I asked them to take me to hospital but they were not helping me. They had locked the main gate of the college and the guard was helpless and did not help,” she said.

Eventually, the woman said she was released that evening—but only after repeated threats of further violence. “I need justice,” she pleaded in her statement.

Police have since carried out a preliminary medical exam and collected witness statements. The college premises, where the alleged assault took place, have been sealed off pending forensic examination.

#WATCH | Kolkata | Police have sealed the area where three men allegedly gangraped a South Calcutta Law College student on the college premises

The three accused, Manojit Mishra, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay, who the Police have named, have been remanded to police custody… pic.twitter.com/3g4KDti5UH

— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2025

Manojit Mishra, 31, has been identified as the main accused. A former student, he currently holds the position of general secretary of the South Kolkata district unit of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP)—the student wing of the ruling TMC. According to News18, he was working as temporary staff at the college, appointed by the governing body.

The other two accused, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (also referred to as Pramit Mukherjee), are both current students. Police have seized the mobile phones of all three.

BJP slams TMC over accused’s ‘political connection’

The BJP has come down heavily on the TMC, alleging that the Mamata Banerjee-led government has created an unsafe environment for women in West Bengal.

“Rapes have become a daily horror, and the state machinery continues to fail its daughters. Enough is enough. BJP will not stay silent. We will fight tooth and nail to end this rape culture that has flourished under TMC’s rule,” the party said in a strong statement.

The BJP also shared a series of photos showing the main accused, Manojit Mishra, with top TMC leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee (MP and nephew of CM Mamata Banerjee), Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, and Councillor Kajari Banerjee, who is the chief minister’s sister-in-law.

Yet again Mamata Banerjee's govt is found standing with the accused!

Accused no 1 Manojit Mishra is a TMC member!

Whether it is RG Kar Rape and Murder case where Mamta Banerjee tried to silence victims parents,

Or now when accused in Kasba gangrape case is found to be a TMC… pic.twitter.com/mYuAYjRgwh

— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)🇮🇳 (@pradip103) June 27, 2025

BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari took to X to write, “Yet again, Mamata Banerjee’s government is found standing with the accused! Manojit Mishra is a TMC member. Whether it is the RG Kar rape and murder case, where Mamata Banerjee tried to silence the victim’s parents, or now, when the accused is found to be a TMC member…”

Amit Malviya, BJP IT cell chief, also reacted sharply on X (formerly Twitter), calling the incident “horrific” and linking it to what he called a broader culture of impunity in Bengal.

“The horror of RG Kar hasn’t faded, and yet such heinous crimes continue to rise daily in Bengal. Under Mamata Banerjee’s rule, West Bengal has become a nightmare for women. Rape has turned into a routine tragedy,” he said, adding that the BJP “stands with the victim and her family” and is committed to seeing that “every culprit is punished.”

‘Justice will be served,’ says TMC

Amid mounting political pressure and public outrage, the Trinamool Congress on Friday issued a strong condemnation of the alleged gangrape inside South Calcutta Law College.

“We unequivocally condemn the tragic rape incident at South Calcutta Law College,” the party said in a post on X, assuring that the Kolkata Police had “swiftly apprehended all three accused” and that the “full weight of the law” would be applied to ensure the harshest punishment.

Referring to the disturbing case, the TMC also pushed for the urgent implementation of the Aparajita Anti-Rape Bill — a legislation Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had proposed following last year’s RG Kar rape and murder case.

According to the party, the bill is aimed at building “a strong deterrent against sexual offences,” stressing the need for faster investigations, timely trials, and strict punishment for those found guilty.

TMC also directed criticism at the BJP-led central government for allegedly stalling the bill and failing to act on the need for stronger protections for women.

The state government, it said, remains committed to supporting the survivor in every way possible. “Justice will be served,” the party added.

The latest assault has revived painful memories of the RG Kar Medical College case from August 2024, where a postgraduate medical trainee was raped and murdered inside the hospital premises.

Her body was found in a seminar hall, sparking massive protests by doctors and students across the state. Civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison in that case.

With input from agencies