KOLKATA: The gang rape of a 24-year-old law student at a Kolkata college on June 25 was allegedly planned in advance by the main accused, Monojit Mishra, who, according to investigators, had been fixated on the survivor since the day she joined the institution.
Co-accused Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee, both students of the same law college, told police that Mishra—who held sway on campus as a former Trinamool Chhatra Parishad office-bearer—became obsessed with the student after she repeatedly rejected his advances. Enraged by the rejection, Mishra allegedly decided to “teach her a lesson,” and began planning the assault with the help of Zaib and Pramit.
According to investigators, Mishra even offered the survivor the post of college union general secretary, which he referred to as a “final bait,” in a last attempt to manipulate her before orchestrating the alleged assault inside a campus security guard’s room.
Sources revealed that two days before the incident, Mishra told Zaib and Pramit that the survivor would be on campus to submit an exam form. He instructed them to ensure she remained on the premises until evening. After the assault, the accused reportedly left the campus around the same time as the survivor, who was picked up by her father.
That night, Mishra is believed to have asked trusted aides to stay on campus and monitor any unusual activity at the nearby Kasba police station. The following morning, he contacted a college official, though the official claimed their conversation was limited to routine college matters. Meanwhile, Pramit is said to have reached out to a lawyer, and both he and Zaib contacted college seniors, some with political affiliations, asking for help. Their requests were reportedly turned down, with the duo being told to "face the consequences."
Investigators said Mishra assumed the survivor would not report the incident, believing the existence of a video recording of the assault—allegedly filmed on a mobile phone by Zaib and Pramit—would prevent her from coming forward. Police suspect he intended to use the footage to blackmail the survivor into a second encounter.
“He had faced 11 FIRs since 2013, and despite chargesheets being filed, he remained free. That history gave him the confidence he could escape prosecution again,” a police source said.
Investigators revealed that Monojit allegedly planned to assault the survivor a second time, intending to blackmail her using a video of the first assault, which was reportedly recorded on a mobile phone by co-accused Zaib and Pramit during the incident on campus.
“We urge any other women who may have experienced similar harassment or abuse to come forward and file complaints,” a senior police officer said.
As part of the ongoing investigation, all 17 students who were present on campus on June 25 are being questioned to determine whether a broader conspiracy was involved in the crime.
