Key accused handled students' queries before rape, show docs

Administrators at the South Calcutta Law College where a 24-year-old student was gangraped after college hours on June 25, issued last year a notice asking students to route any queries related to their dealings with the institution through Monojit Mishra, the main accused in the case, and also previously issued several notices asking students not to stay in the campus after college hours, documents reviewed by HT show.

- Joydeep Thakur

Mishra, a graduate of the college later hired as a temporary staffer, was arrested with two existing students Promit Mukherjee and Zaib Ahmed, and a security guard, Pinaki Banerjee.

Police have said that Mishra, also a leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress's student unit in the college, has at least 11 criminal cases pending against him. At least four were related to molestation.

"But despite all these he was not just recruited in July 2024 but the college authorities issued a notice on August 13, 2024 asking students to contact him with any queries related to students' dealings of the college," said a professor who asked not to be named.

HT has a copy of the notice which reads: "Students of all semesters are hereby informed that any query related to students' dealings of the college kindly contact Monojit Mishra (office staff) and Pallab Adhiakary (office staff).