South Calcutta Law College authorities have written to the education department seeking funds to install 70 CCTV cameras on the college campus, where a first-year student was allegedly gang-raped on June 25.
According to a member of the governing body, the institute has sought financial support as it lacks the resources to install the necessary facilities on its own.
The college in Kasba communicated to the education department that it aims to establish comprehensive CCTV surveillance across the entire college grounds to ensure the safety and security of its female students.
“A company with expertise in setting up the CCTVs was engaged to identify the areas where the cameras need to be installed. A detailed proposal has been sent to the department,” the governing body member said.
“It has been left to the government to decide on the fund estimates based on the proposal,” the member said.
In January 2023, the college installed three CCTV cameras within its premises following a report from a first-year student to the UGC regarding alleged ragging by senior students.
“The college does not have funds to set up so many CCTV cameras. As the education
department recently decided to allocate funds to set up CCTV cameras for Jadavpur University, we expect the department to consider our proposal as well,” said a college official.
Close to four months after the crime, the governing body — the college’s highest decision-making authority — has met four times since July 1 but has yet to decide when the CCTV cameras will be installed and when private security guards will be engaged.
Metro had reported on July 25 that the governing body, which had resolved on July 24 to install several CCTV cameras by August 15, but the college has yet to act. Steps to improve campus security remain delayed.
An education department official said they have yet to go through the proposal.
Calls and text messages to the college vice-principal Nayna Chatterji on Tuesday did not yield any response.
According to sources on the campus, the vice-principal wants corridors, classrooms, and lifts to be brought under CCTV coverage.
The student, who was the victim of the purported offense, has departed from the college and enrolled in another government-supported law institution after receiving special authorisation from Calcutta University. The student expressed that she no longer felt secure at the college.
“Security measures must be strengthened on campus. Otherwise, female students may be reluctant to pursue their studies at the college,” stated a faculty member.
Monojit Mishra, a former TMCP unit president at the college, was arrested alongside students Pramit Mukherjee and Zaib Ahmed, and security guard Pinaki Banerjee, following their alleged involvement in gang rape.
Ashok Deb, the governing body president and Trinamool Congress MLA from Budge Budge, said on July 24 that steps would be taken soon to install the CCTV cameras and graffiti praising Monojit Mishra, the prime accused in the alleged gang rape, would be whitewashed.
Over two and a half months later, the message — “Monojit dada is in our hearts” — remains on the wall, and the CCTV cameras are yet to be installed.
Calls and text messages to Deb went unanswered.