The 24-year-old law student who was allegedly gang-raped on campus on June 25 is reluctant to return to the college, a friend of hers told members of the state’s women’s commission.
The survivor, who sat beside her friend during the meeting, is not mentally prepared to return to South Calcutta Law College in Kasba and fears social stigma, the commission was told.
The West Bengal Commission for Women has recommended to the Bengal government’s women and child development department that the student be allowed to transfer to another law college. The commission met with the woman and her friend on Sunday afternoon and submitted their recommendation on Tuesday.
“Going back to the same college will be difficult for her because of the social taboo, and it might impact her mentally,” the survivor’s friend told commission members. “She asked whether she could study at another college instead.”
Leena Gangopadhyay, chairperson of the West Bengal Commission for Women, said the recommendation was natural given the circumstances.
“We told the government that if she has any problem studying at the college, she should be allowed to go to another campus,” she told Metro. “It’s understandable for her to feel that way since the college is where the alleged crime occurred.”
The ordeal
The law student was allegedly gang-raped on the college premises on the evening of June 25, between 7.30pm and 10.50pm. According to her statement to the police, she was first assaulted in the students’ union room, then taken to the security guard’s room where she was raped by a casual college employee — also an alumnus — while two other current students were present.
The survivor filed a police complaint the following day. Three men were arrested on the evening of June 26 and early June 27: Monojit Mishra, 31, the prime accused, and his two associates, Pramit Mukherjee, 20, and Zaib Ahmed, 19, both current students. All three are in police custody until July 8.
The college security guard, Pinaki Banerjee, who allegedly allowed his room to be used for the crime and failed to report it, was arrested on the evening of June 27 and remains in custody until Friday.
Survivor’s concerns
During the hour-long conversation with commission members on Sunday, the 24-year-old woman expressed concerns about her future safety and security. “I am fighting this battle, but my safety and security should be ensured in the future,” commission chairperson Gangopadhyay quoted the woman as saying.
The commission team that met the woman and her friend on Sunday included a counsellor and a media consultant.
The survivor explained that while the case currently has public attention and police scrutiny, she worries about potential harassment once the spotlight fades. She also told commission members that crowds gathering outside her home were embarrassing and that repeatedly answering questions about the incident was disturbing her.
“She told us the police are cooperating with her,” said Gangopadhyay. “We repeatedly asked if she had any grievances, but she said she doesn’t have any complaints about the police response.”
Panel’s advice
The women’s commission has made several recommendations to support the survivor:
- Allow her to transfer to another law college if she chooses
- Provide counselling services if she wants them
- Ensure her long-term safety and security
- Pursue strong punishment for all accused parties
- Prevent the case from dragging on unnecessarily
The commission submitted these recommendations to the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare on Tuesday. While the department oversees the women’s commission, the commission’s decisions remain independent and unguided by external influence.
The survivor had initially struggled with deep-seated fears about social stigma and internal conflicts before finding the courage to file her police complaint the day after the assault.