The gangrape at South Calcutta Law College on June 25 appears to have been planned at least 48 hours in advance, according to police citing the confessional statements of two accused, both students of the institution.
“During interrogation, third-semester student Pramit Mukhopadhyay and first-semester student Zaib Ahmed admitted that Monojit Mishra — their political mentor and a student-wing leader of the ruling TMC — had hinted two days ago that he intended to get physically close to the victim and sought their cooperation,” said an officer from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, adding, “Repeatedly persuading the victim to stay back in college under the pretext of discussing political matters, and offering her a leadership role as the girls’ unit secretary, now appears to have been part of a calculated and pre-planned conspiracy behind the heinous crime.”
The victim had gone to her college on June 25 to complete the form fill-up process for her first-semester examination. Police believe the accused exploited this official requirement to trap her on campus.
The content of the victim’s complaint indicates that she was on Monojit’s target-list from her first day in the college. “He called me outside and told me that from the very first day he likes me….gave a proposal for marriage. I denied saying I have a boyfriend and I really love him. And after a mutual conversation, we went back to the union room….I packed myself and was about to leave and then Monojit Da stopped me and told Pramit and Zaib by eye contact to go outside and they went and locked the door from outside,” the victim’s letter of complaint read.
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In another development, the 55-year-old arrested guard of the college, Pinaki Banerjee, reportedly claimed during interrogation that Monojit took away his mobile phone before committing the crime, presumably to prevent him from alerting anyone.
Police sources confirmed Banerjee admitted to being unable to call for help as his phone had been confiscated by the accused. However, investigators are now questioning why the security personnel failed to inform the college authorities or raise an alarm even after the incident occurred.
Digital and medico-legal evidence, along with CCTV footage, have supported the complaint and statement given by the victim of gangrape at South Calcutta Law College, police officials confirmed. Investigators added that they are now awaiting the forensic analysis reports of the collected samples, which include DNA matching, to further strengthen the case.
Mentioning a panic attack in her complaint, the victim said that she felt a breathing problem and requested an inhaler. “Zaib brought that. I took it and felt better,” she wrote in her complaint.
The police went to the medical store from where the inhaler was purchased. “The payment was made using UPI option. It left digital footprints of the suspects . The medical store’s record-book is showing Zaib’s name as a purchaser and the payment was made at 8.29 pm on June 25,” said a police officer.
According to police, Monojit has emerged as a central figure in the investigation. “He had been arrested two months ago for allegedly assaulting a policeman. However, he was booked under relatively minor sections, enabling him to secure bail with ease. His history of aggressive behavior and influence has become a key focus of the current investigation,” said the officer.
Kolkata Police, in a public statement shared on its official social media handle, confirmed that the victim's statement is consistent with the timeline and movements of the accused on the day of the incident. Authorities have completed all required medical examinations and forensic tests and senior officers are currently handling the case.
Sources from Kasba police station revealed that the police have compiled a list of 17 persons who were present on the college campus from the afternoon on the day of the incident. “Each of these individuals will be interrogated separately to gather more details. Investigators believe the list could help establish the sequence of events and identify any additional accomplices or witnesses,” said a senior police officer.
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