Monojit Mishra, the main accused in Wednesday’s alleged gang rape of a student at South Calcutta Law College, had access to the offices of several senior Trinamool leaders in south Calcutta and frequently flaunted these connections by posting pictures with them on social media.
Several teachers at the Kasba college alleged that Mishra, 31, a former student, had gained admission in 2012 through the “recommendation” of a senior Trinamool leader.
“He was rusticated from the college in 2015 on charges of misbehaving with a student. But he secured admission again in 2017 after offering an apology,” a teacher said.
Mishra eventually graduated in 2022 but continued visiting the campus.
Teachers and Trinamool sources said Mishra’s proximity to senior party leaders was behind the clout he enjoyed at the college. His Facebook account features pictures with several Trinamool MLAs and at least one minister.
His often violent behaviour in the college was dismissed as minor aberrations, the teachers said.
The Telegraph had reported on Sunday that Mishra had been arrested previously and faced multiple police cases on charges including molestation, assault and theft.
According to police records, a chargesheet was filed against Mishra for allegedly tearing a woman’s clothes inside the law college in July 2019.
The same year, he was accused of stealing a gold chain, a music system, a bottle of perfume, and a pair of spectacles from a friend’s apartment in Haridevpur on New Year’s Eve. The police filed a chargesheet in the case in early January 2020.
Another chargesheet was filed against him for allegedly molesting a woman in Kasba in March 2022. In May last year, the law college authorities lodged a police complaint against him for allegedly assaulting security guard Sanjib Kumar Sil and damaging college property.
Campus role
Mishra, former president of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad unit at the law college, continued to serve as a key organiser for the student outfit’s activities on campus.
“Being a senior student leader with proximity to political leaders, Mishra was given responsibility for the students’ unit. He came to the college regularly to look after the student unit’s activities,” a party source said.
Mishra’s Facebook profile shows several posts promoting Trinamool Chhatra Parishad activities at the South Calcutta Law College, including group photos with party leaders.
Red flags ignored
Despite the multiple criminal charges against him, Mishra was hired as a casual employee at the college last September.
“Since he was recommended by the governing body of the college, there was no police verification,” a college source said.
Vice-principal Nayna Chatterji had confirmed on Friday that Mishra had been appointed on a recommendation from the governing body, headed by the Trinamool MLA from Budge Budge, Ashok Deb.
When this newspaper asked Chatterji on Sunday why Mishra had been appointed despite the college having filed a police complaint against him, the call got disconnected midway. She did not respond to text messages.
The Telegraph called MLA Deb three times on Sunday but he did not take the calls or respond to text messages.
According to the woman student’s police statement, Mishra assaulted her in the students’ union room and raped her in the security guard’s room while two current students — Zaib Ahmed, 19, and Pramit Mukherjee, 20 — watched.
The trio have been remanded in police custody till July 1. Security guard Pinaki Banerjee, 55, too was arrested on Friday night. All four have been charged with gang rape, wrongful confinement and joint liability.
Police sources said Mishra had denied rape, claiming the sex had been consensual. The police are considering submitting a list of the previous cases against Mishra to the court to emphasise his background.
The probe
The police intend to question four students who were last seen with the woman, Mishra and the two student co-accused. These four students’ statements will be recorded at their homes or at Kasba police station.
The police claim to have found “obscene” videos of the assault on Mishra’s phone, with which he allegedly tried to blackmail the woman. No evidence has yet emerged that any of the videos found on Mishra’s phone was circulated, so IT Act charges have not been filed.
The college governing body plans to meet on Monday, vice-principal Chatterji said.