The Kolkata rape survivor was not given an inhaler when she suffered a panic attack out of concern for her, but so she could recover and be brutalised, the public prosecutor has informed a court in the city.
The 24-year-old law student was allegedly raped at the South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata’s Kasba area on June 25 by Monojit Mishra, a 31-year-old former student of the college. Two students, identified as 19-year-old Zaib Ahmed and 20-year-old Pramit Mukhopadhyay, and a security guard are the other accused, and all four have been arrested.
In her complaint, the student had said she suffered a panic attack before the assault on her and Mishra, asked one of the other accused to get an inhaler for her. She used the inhaler, felt better and tried to escape, but she was dragged to the security guard’s room and allegedly raped by Mishra as Ahmed and Mukhopadhyay recorded the act.
During a hearing in a Kolkata court seeking 10-day police custody of the accused, the public prosecutor said the survivor’s allegations are being confirmed through medical and electronic evidence.
“First, the survivor was brutally assaulted. When her health deteriorated, she was given an inhaler. The inhaler was not given so that she could recover, but so that she could be brutalised again as soon as she recovered,” the prosecutor said.
Making his case for 10-day custody, the prosecutor said the investigation is still incomplete and many other aspects are being probed.
The defence lawyer, appearing for Mishra and the two students, however, argued that his clients were cooperating fully. Asking whether the survivor’s phone had been seized and call detail records had been collected, the lawyer called the case a conspiracy against his clients.
The court granted the Kolkata Police custody of Mishra and the two students till July 8, and of the security guard till Friday.
Repeat Offender?
After photos were shared of Mishra with senior members of the party, including Abhishek Banerjee, who is an MP and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, the Trinamool Congress had admitted that he was linked to its student wing, but stressed that this would not come in the way of him getting the strictest possible punishment.
A former student of the South Calcutta Law College also told NDTV on Tuesday that everyone was afraid of Mishra and that he had been involved in several other crimes as well. Mishra had graduated from the college, but returned as a contractual employee.
“In 2019, he sexually harassed a woman in college and tore her clothes. In 2024, he beat up a security guard and vandalised college property. He was also involved in some kind of theft. There have been several complaints against him, but nobody took any action because of his political influence,” the former student said.
“I don’t think there is any girl in college who wasn’t harassed by him. There were many complaints. Even his parents disowned him,” she added.
