The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta was thrust into the spotlight after a female IIM aspirant accused a second-year student of drugging and raping her inside the boys’ hostel on Friday. The arrest of the student on Saturday has triggered a storm of outrage and raised questions about campus security and institutional accountability.
The accused, identified by police as Paramanand from Karnataka, allegedly invited the young woman to the visitors’ room of the boys' hostel under the pretext of seeking psychological counselling. The two had reportedly connected earlier through a social media platform.
According to the victim’s complaint, she had arrived at IIM Calcutta on Saturday morning at around 10.45 a.m. for a scheduled counselling session with her client. She stated that, although she was required to register her name and contact details at the entrance, the gate staff did not ask to verify any of her documents.
In her statement to the police, the young woman wrote that, as per their prior arrangement, she began preparing to initiate the session when the accused proposed shifting the venue from the visitors’ room to the boys’ hostel. He allegedly told her it would be more convenient to conduct the session in a private setting. She agreed and accompanied him inside.
Once within the hostel, the accused allegedly offered her water from a steel bottle and pizza for lunch. Soon after consuming both, the woman began to feel dizzy. In her letter to the police, she noted that the accused had appeared to be behaving oddly from the beginning, as though he were under the influence of some substance. She further stated that several bottles were lying scattered around the room, which heightened her suspicions.
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The victim added that she began feeling nauseous after the meal and requested to use the bathroom, but the accused reportedly refused. He is said to have told her that her presence could cause trouble if anyone saw a girl inside the hostel. “An argument ensued over the issue, during which the accused suddenly pulled her hair. The young woman slapped him in self-defence, but he then grabbed her by the throat and hit her hand,” a police officer said, quoting the contents of the victim’s complaint.
The subsequent events, as described by the complainant, are hazy. She informed the police that she vaguely remembered the accused touching her inappropriately and later sexually assaulting her. When she regained consciousness at around 7.45 p.m., she found herself lying on a bed inside the boys’ hostel of the institute.
The woman later lodged a formal complaint at Haridevpur Police Station. Acting on her complaint, officers visited the Lake View Hostel of IIM Calcutta—where the suspect’s room is located—and arrested the student in the early hours of Saturday. He has since been booked under Sections 64 and 123 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police sources confirmed that the assault occurred within the hostel premises.
“We received the complaint late on Friday evening. Police are exploring all possible aspects to ascertain accountability on the part of the institution,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Rupesh Kumar, said.
The accused was produced before the Alipore court on Saturday, where the magistrate remanded him to police custody till 19 July for further interrogation.
The incident has sparked concern over how an outsider was allowed into the boys' hostel without entry being officially logged. Authorities are probing if there were any lapses or complicity on the part of the hostel guards. Investigators are also looking into whether the accused wielded undue influence within the institute.
Speculation has arisen over whether any attempt was made to shield the accused by institutional authorities. So far, the IIM Calcutta administration has not issued any official statement.
The incident comes weeks after the South Calcutta Law College gangrape case and has reignited discourse over safety on elite educational campuses.
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