The primary suspect in the alleged gang rape of a student at South calcutta Law college on Wednesday, Monojit Mishra, had access to the offices of several key Trinamool figures in the city and regularly showed off these relationships on social media by sharing photos of himself with them.
Several instructors at Kasba college claimed that 31-year-old Mishra, a previous pupil, was admitted in 2012 on the "recommendation" of a top Trinamool politician."He was accused of mistreating a student in 2015, which led to his rustication from the college. However, after apologizing, he was accepted again in 2017," a teacher added. Mishra continued to visit the institution even after graduating in 2022.
According to teachers and Trinamool insiders, Mishra's influence at the campus stemmed from his closeness to senior party leaders. Pictures of him with at least one minister and other Trinamool MLAs can be found on his facebook page. According to the teachers, his frequently violent behavior in college was written off as a small aberration.
According to an india Herald story published on Sunday, Mishra has previously been detained and was the subject of several police cases, including allegations of theft, assault, and molestation. In July 2019, Mishra was charged with shredding a woman's clothing inside the law college, according to police documents.
He was charged with stealing a pair of spectacles, a gold chain, a music system, and a bottle of perfume from a friend's Haridevpur apartment on New Year's Eve of that year. Early in january 2020, the police submitted a chargesheet in the case. He was charged with groping a lady in Kasba in march 2022, according to another chargesheet. He was the target of a police complaint filed by the law college administration in May of last year for allegedly assaulting security guard Sanjib Kumar Sil and causing damage to campus property.
Campus Role
Mishra, a past president of the law college's Trinamool Chhatra Parishad chapter, was an important coordinator for the group's on-campus events.
"Mishra was assigned to lead the students' unit because she was a senior student leader who was close to political figures. According to a party source, he frequently visited the campus to oversee the operations of the student unit.
Group images with party leaders are among the posts on Mishra's facebook page that advertise Trinamool Chhatra Parishad events at the South calcutta Law College.
Red flags ignored
Mishra was employed by the college last september as a casual employee in spite of the several criminal allegations against him.
"Since he was recommended by the governing body of the college, there was no police verification," according to a college source.
On friday, vice-principal Nayna Chatterji affirmed that Mishra was appointed based on a recommendation from the governing council, which was led by ashok Deb, the Trinamool mla from Budge Budge.
On Sunday, this newspaper called Chatterji to inquire as to why Mishra was chosen in spite of the college's police complaint against him, but the call was cut off in the middle. Text messages went unanswered.
The woman student's police statement claims that Mishra raped her in the security guard's apartment and assaulted her in the students' union room as two current students, Pramit Mukherjee, 20, and Zaib Ahmed, 19, looked on.
The three have been placed under police custody on remand until July 1. Pinaki Banerjee, a 55-year-old security guard, was also taken into custody on friday evening. The charges against all four include joint culpability, wrongful confinement, and gang rape.
According to police sources, Mishra claimed the sex was consensual and denied being raped. To highlight Mishra's background, the police are thinking of presenting the court with a list of his prior convictions.
The probe
Four students who were last seen with Mishra, the woman, and the two co-accused students will be questioned by the police. Statements from these four students will either be recorded at the Kasba police station or at their residences.
According to the authorities, Mishra attempted to blackmail the victim using "obscene" videos of the attack that were discovered on his phone. Charges under the IT Act have not yet been brought because there is no proof that any of the videos discovered on Mishra's phone were shared.
According to Vice-Principal Chatterji, the college's governing board will convene on Monday.
Several instructors at Kasba college claimed that 31-year-old Mishra, a previous pupil, was admitted in 2012 on the "recommendation" of a top Trinamool politician."He was accused of mistreating a student in 2015, which led to his rustication from the college. However, after apologizing, he was accepted again in 2017," a teacher added. Mishra continued to visit the institution even after graduating in 2022.
According to teachers and Trinamool insiders, Mishra's influence at the campus stemmed from his closeness to senior party leaders. Pictures of him with at least one minister and other Trinamool MLAs can be found on his facebook page. According to the teachers, his frequently violent behavior in college was written off as a small aberration.
According to an india Herald story published on Sunday, Mishra has previously been detained and was the subject of several police cases, including allegations of theft, assault, and molestation. In July 2019, Mishra was charged with shredding a woman's clothing inside the law college, according to police documents.
He was charged with stealing a pair of spectacles, a gold chain, a music system, and a bottle of perfume from a friend's Haridevpur apartment on New Year's Eve of that year. Early in january 2020, the police submitted a chargesheet in the case. He was charged with groping a lady in Kasba in march 2022, according to another chargesheet. He was the target of a police complaint filed by the law college administration in May of last year for allegedly assaulting security guard Sanjib Kumar Sil and causing damage to campus property.
Campus Role
Mishra, a past president of the law college's Trinamool Chhatra Parishad chapter, was an important coordinator for the group's on-campus events.
"Mishra was assigned to lead the students' unit because she was a senior student leader who was close to political figures. According to a party source, he frequently visited the campus to oversee the operations of the student unit.
Group images with party leaders are among the posts on Mishra's facebook page that advertise Trinamool Chhatra Parishad events at the South calcutta Law College.
Red flags ignored
Mishra was employed by the college last september as a casual employee in spite of the several criminal allegations against him.
"Since he was recommended by the governing body of the college, there was no police verification," according to a college source.
On friday, vice-principal Nayna Chatterji affirmed that Mishra was appointed based on a recommendation from the governing council, which was led by ashok Deb, the Trinamool mla from Budge Budge.
On Sunday, this newspaper called Chatterji to inquire as to why Mishra was chosen in spite of the college's police complaint against him, but the call was cut off in the middle. Text messages went unanswered.
The woman student's police statement claims that Mishra raped her in the security guard's apartment and assaulted her in the students' union room as two current students, Pramit Mukherjee, 20, and Zaib Ahmed, 19, looked on.
The three have been placed under police custody on remand until July 1. Pinaki Banerjee, a 55-year-old security guard, was also taken into custody on friday evening. The charges against all four include joint culpability, wrongful confinement, and gang rape.
According to police sources, Mishra claimed the sex was consensual and denied being raped. To highlight Mishra's background, the police are thinking of presenting the court with a list of his prior convictions.
The probe
Four students who were last seen with Mishra, the woman, and the two co-accused students will be questioned by the police. Statements from these four students will either be recorded at the Kasba police station or at their residences.
According to the authorities, Mishra attempted to blackmail the victim using "obscene" videos of the attack that were discovered on his phone. Charges under the IT Act have not yet been brought because there is no proof that any of the videos discovered on Mishra's phone were shared.
According to Vice-Principal Chatterji, the college's governing board will convene on Monday.
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