Kolkata police set up SIT to probe into Kasba law college gang rape case

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Kolkata: The Kolkata police on Saturday set up a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the alleged gang-rape of a 24-year-old student inside a law college at Kasba in south Kolkata on Wednesday late evening. Police detain a BJP supporter ruling Bharatiya Janata Party during a protest over the alleged rape of a student at the South Calcutta Law College campus on Wednesday, in Kolkata, on Saurday. (AP)
A senior police official said officials have found an incriminating video clip in one of the three mobile phones seized from the accused persons.
'We have found a video clipping of approximately 1 minute 30 seconds, which corroborates the statements made by the victim in her complaint,' said an official.
A first-year student of South Calcutta Law College was allegedly gangraped on Wednesday in the security guard's room in the ground-floor of the college campus.
Report of the victim's medical examination done in a state-run hospital has also corroborated her statements, officials said without divulging further details.
On Thursday a contractual staff of the college Monojit Mishra (31) and two existing students, Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukherjee (20) were arrested on Thursday on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim. On Saturday a security guard of the college Pinaki Banerjee was also arrested.
The woman in her complaint had alleged that Mishra showed her two videos which were captured while she was being stripped.
'I still fought back and then he (Mishra) showed me two videos of mine being naked when he raped me. He threatened me to show everyone these videos if I don't cooperate and I don't come whenever he calls me,' the victim had stated in her complaint.
Meanwhile police have also collected footages of CCTv which covers the area outside the union room and the security guard's room. The footages are more than seven hour long starting from 3:30 pm on June 25.
The victim had alleged that while she reached the college around 12:00 noon on Wednesday to fill up some forms for an upcoming examination, she was asked to stay back by Mishra. The crime took place between 7:30 pm and 10:50 pm.
'We have arrested a security guard of the college. This is the fourth arrest in connection with the case. The probe is ongoing,' a senior officer said.
The victim had alleged that Mishra's aides, Ahmed and Mukherjee, allegedly locked the main gate of the college and forcibly took her to the guard's room. The security guard was allegedly asked to leave. In the guard's room, Mishra allegedly attempted to rape her.
'Mishra instructed Ahmed and Mukherjee to take me to the guard's room and make the guard sit outside. They did so,' she wrote in the complaint.
'The security guard did little to help the victim, nor did he raise an alarm or inform the college authorities or dial 100 to inform the police,' said an official.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) which had taken suo moto cognizance of the case and had sought an action-taken-report from Kolkata's police commissioner on Friday, wrote a fresh letter to the state chief secretary on Saturday seeking the victim's medical reports within three days and security arrangement for the victim's family.
Meanwhile the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced that it would send a four-member team to Kolkata to probe into the incident which would submit a report to JP Nadda, BJP National President. The BJP also said that it wouldn't demand a CBI probe into the incident.
'I agree that the CBI wasn't successful in its probe into the rape and murder in RG Kar Hospital. . . We don't want a CBI probe. We want the Kolkata Police to probe into this. The policemen get their salary from the tax paid by the citizens. Let the police investigate and bring out the truth,' Agnimitra Paul, BJP legislator, said in a press conference at the BJP party office in Salt Lake.
'@BJP4Bengal MLA @paulagnimitra1 declares that she and her party have NO FAITH in @BJP4India's puppet agency - the CBI. She claims that the @CBIHeadquarters FAILED to ensure justice or do their job properly in the RG Kar incident. Interestingly, she has now placed her trust in @WBPolice and @KolkataPolice for ensuring the safety and security of women. Well Madam, good to see reality finally sinking in!' the TMC wrote on X.