Latest news with #ManojitMishra
News18
19-07-2025
- News18
IIM-Calcutta Rape Case: Complainant Unreachable, Accused Granted Bail On Rs 50,000 Bond
The accused in the alleged rape at IIM Calcutta got bail while the complainant didn't appear for a medico-legal test. News18 The accused in the alleged rape incident on the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C) campus in Joka has been granted bail on a bail bond of Rs 50,000 on Saturday. Complainant Incommunicado, Skipped Court Dates The complainant, a psychological councillor, who accused the student of sexual harassment in the hostel of the institute, is 'incommunicado" and skipped two appearances before the magistrate to record her statement. Police have been trying to contact her since then for investigation purposes, however, they have been unable to reach her, as her phone has been switched off. Meanwhile, the police on Tuesday sought the CCTV footage of July 11 of the entire campus of the IIM-C. The alleged rape incident took place on the campus of the IIM-C on July 11. The woman, a psychological councillor, claimed that she was called to the hostel for a counselling session. When the woman went to the hostel, she reportedly consumed a drink laced with drugs, after which she fell unconscious. After she gained consciousness, she realised that she was raped. As per the complainant, the two had become acquainted through social media. The accused student was arrested the next day based on an FIR lodged with the Haridevpur Police Station by the survivor. The case comes less than a month after another female student was gang-raped on June 25 inside the security guard room of the South Calcutta Law College. So far, the Kolkata Police have arrested four individuals: Manojit Mishra, Promit Mukherjee, Zaid Ahmed, and the college's security guard. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Wire
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Most Bengal Colleges Have Not Had Elections in Years. Yet the TMC 'Controls' Student Unions
Earlier this month, the Calcutta high court asked the Bengal government to lock union rooms in colleges and universities where there is no recognised student body or where no student body elections had taken place in the recent past. A crime against a woman prompted the petition and direction. Ten months after the rape and murder of a young doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital shocked the state, the gang-rape of a 24-year-old student at the South Calcutta Law College has once again stunned all. Like the earlier crime, this too has gone some way in exposing the systemic rot in Bengal's higher educational institutions and renewed demands for accountability. Most of all, it unveiled the question of whether the ruling Trinamool Congress, its leaders and supporters, are running a parallel rule in the state's colleges. In both cases – at R.G. Kar and the law college – the accused have had close links to the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the student wing of the TMC. Much can be said about the impunity enjoyed by these politically affiliated leaders on campus. At present, Bengal social media and media spaces are flush with footage depicting lawlessness, physical and verbal violence and sexual crimes in colleges. Manojit Mishra, the prime accused in the law college case, has been named in at least 10 police complaints, including ones levelling serious allegations of stabbing and molestation. Yet, despite this, he was appointed as a contractual employee at the institution, reportedly on the recommendation of the college's governing body, chaired by a senior TMC MLA, Asok Deb. 'Shouldn't those involved in student politics be allowed to work? Should they remain unemployed?' asked Deb. Mishra, according to reports, addresses Deb as ' jyethu ' or uncle. Elections The systematic rot in West Bengal's education system has roots stretching back to 2013. In February 2013, the fatal shooting of police sub-inspector Tapas Choudhury during student union elections at Harimohan Ghosh College in Kolkata, allegedly by a TMCP-linked gunman, prompted the TMC government to suspend all such elections. This was followed by the death of the 22-year-old Rabindra Bharati University student and Students Federation of India leader Sudipto Gupta in police custody after Gupta participated in a protest against the freeze in April 2013. Despite occasional polls in some institutions between 2013 and 2016 – which were mostly won by the TMCP – a complete campus-wide democratic process never resumed. In the absence of such elections, colleges have seen takeovers – sometimes violent – by affiliates of the ruling party. In 2015, Krishna Prasad Jana, a member of Chhatra Parishad, the Congress students' wing, was murdered in Sabang College in Paschim Medinipur, allegedly by TMCP supporters. The assault and forced resignation of the principal of the Raiganj University, an MLA, Arabul Islam, throwing a water jug at a teacher in Bhangar College, and TMCP vandalism at Presidency University following a defeat marked the quick slide in this regard. 'Those who murdered our party worker are now observing Martyrs' Day and even forcing the martyr's family to stand with them. Earlier, when other parties were in power in West Bengal, such coercive politics of poaching and intimidation never existed,' said Priyanka Choudhury, state president of the Chhatra Parishad. 'Union fees' and 'leaders' quota' In 2012, Shibashis Bandyopadhyay, then a principal of Rampurhat College in Birbhum fell ill after a violent attack by TMCP supporters in the college premises. He soon applied for a transfer to another college. Speaking to The Wire, he said, 'Principals are now sandwiched between politics and responsibility. Local MLAs' nominees run colleges. Governing body presidents used to be elected, now they are appointed. We're forced into compromises. If we object, we're either beaten, harassed, or suspended. Many principals are currently suspended. Even speaking out is seen as a crime. But how long can we stay silent?' The accountability vacuum created by the election freeze has fuelled rampant corruption. During this time, lines within the TMCP have deepened and infighting has been rampant over 'profits' from corrupt practices like charging money to facilitate admissions admissions. In 2018, this crisis reached a breaking point with a student dying by suicide amidst a flood of extortion complaints, compelling the Mamata Banerjee government to promise to revamp the state's college admissions system. 'In 2015, aside from regular fees, I paid Rs 100 in 'union fees', along with library and cycle stand charges, an extra Rs 700 in total. Later, we were told that getting Honours seats was nearly impossible unless we accessed the 'leaders' quota'. That opened the door to big-money deals. Multiply this across hundreds of students annually, and the total unofficial income is enormous,' shared Mrinmoy Biswas, a student from Ranaghat in the Nadia district. The extent to which these unions enjoy unbridled financial powers and very little concern for how they wield it was evident in an incident which is being remembered in Kolkata circles these days. In 2022, renowned singer KK (Krishna Kumar Kunnath) tragically died of a heart attack hours after performing at Kolkata's Nazrul Mancha. Attendees spoke of severe overcrowding, with the crowd exceeding double the auditorium's capacity. This overwhelmed the air-conditioning, creating suffocating conditions – a discomfort KK himself reportedly voiced during the performance. While the TMCP unit of Gurudas College, which unofficially controls its student union, claimed that the college and students had funded the fest – and not the union – critical questions remained. In the absence of formal college elections, how did the ruling party's student wing get access to these funds? Who allowed them to control the funds and organise the show thus? 'Temporary,' says education minister 'TMCP leaders, empowered to organise student groups, have turned into plunderers. I've faced brutal attacks for opposing their corruption. This is a full-blown syndicate. They control honours seat allocations and quotas, are adept at fund embezzlement, and even appoint themselves as non-teaching staff via governing bodies. They profit from every avenue possible and are even pocketing construction commissions, and more,' said former SFI leader Pratikur Rahman. In the last decade, a clear pattern of politicised appointments has emerged across West Bengal's higher education institutions. Former leaders of the the ruling party's student wing have been systematically rewarded with administrative and non-teaching jobs. At Ashutosh College, a powerful TMCP leader, Sarthak Banerjee, became head clerk, and the former general secretary became the college accountant. Surendranath College saw at least four similar appointments. This trend extends statewide, with former TMCP general secretaries and leaders securing positions as non-teaching or even academic staff at colleges. 'The appointments made in colleges are temporary and have no long-term future. The state is now focusing on initiating student union elections in colleges,' state education minister Bratya Basu told The Wire. But Keshab Bhattacharya, state secretary of the Left-affiliated college teachers' organisation West Bengal College And University Teachers Association disagrees. 'The ruling party decides who represents the faculty. They even install handpicked alumni onto governing bodies. Where opposition is weak or absent, the ruling party becomes its own opponent. The educational environment is being destroyed. If teacher representatives don't align politically, they're harassed,' said Bhattacharya. A brief democratic interlude occurred in early 2020 when four universities – Jadavpur, Presidency, Rabindra Bharati, and IIEST Shibpur – were allowed to hold student union elections after agitations. The results were telling. Left-affiliated alliances swept Jadavpur, with TMCP finishing a distant fourth. Similarly, independent and Left-leaning groups dominated Presidency. These outcomes indicate that the TMCP's influence can significantly diminish in democratic exercises on campuses a fact that likely explains the ruling party's persistent reluctance to restore routine student elections statewide. Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Time of India
Sickness beyond campus: Rape video search trends on Google
Kolkata: The alleged gang rape of a 24-year-old law student on the campus has led to a surge in online searches for the video, reportedly recorded during the incident. Google Trends data indicates that searches related to the 'Kolkata law college rape video' have entered the 'breakout category', suggesting a sharp and rapid increase in public interest in the explicit footage. Psychologists and women's rights activists described attempts to view revenge porn as 'voyeuristic', saying it reflected the depravity of those who sought pleasure in watching a woman being abused and tortured. The video's 'breakout' category meant it saw a substantial surge in popularity, that specifically saw a growth of more than 5,000% over the selected time period. The Google data shows the search trend peaked between 3.30 pm on June 27 and 1.30 am on June 28, and as of Tuesday, the Google search remained 'rising'. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata TOI reported on Monday that at least two rape videos were found on the cellphone of prime accused Manojit Mishra, which were filmed by co-accused Pramit Mukherjee and Zaib Ahmed. The girl, in her police complaint as well as her statement, said multiple videos were shot which the accused used to blackmail her during and after the crime. She also said Pramit and Zaib took two videos even as Mishra forcibly undressed her, and others were taken of her brutalisation. The videos have been sent to Cyber Forensics & Digital Evidence Examiners Laboratory in Salt Lake. Psychologist Ratnabali Ray called it "erotic extortion". "People who view 'revenge porn' may not have committed the rape but they want to fulfil the desire of controlling and humiliating a woman," she said. Activists and digital rights advocates condemned the public interest in the video, calling it a form of secondary abuse that re-victimised the survivor. Police warned that searching for, possessing or circulating such content constituted a criminal offence. "This is not only voyeurism but also a digital assault on the survivor all over again," said a senior officer of Kolkata Police. Mental health specialists said while many who searched for the videos might have "a sick mind", there could be some who "did it out of curiosity". "One group could be porn addicts who watch such videos for self-gratification, while another group could be those addicted to sociopathic events that offer them morbid pleasure in another's suffering. A few could be doing it out of inquisitiveness and empathy, wanting to witness the violence inflicted on the survivor," said psychiatrist Sabyasachi Mitra. Women's rights activist Anuradha Kapur said a plausible reason for people wanting to view rape being committed was it made them feel powerful. "It is a reflection of the mindset of a section of our society," she said. RG Kar assistant professor Rajarshi Neogi said, "It is an inherent inquisitive nature of human beings to search for details. But if one is searching for rape videos, it can have multiple layers. They can search to satisfy their sadistic or voyeuristic pleasure. The number of pornography addicts are increasing. It indicates that rape videos are being searched by pornography addict." (With inputs by Dipawali Mitra) Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
News18
01-07-2025
- News18
Molestation, Theft, Assault: Criminal Cases Against Kolkata Rape Accused Manojit Mishra Revealed
Last Updated: Manojit Mishra, the main accused in the Kolkata law college gangrape case, has a long history of criminal complaints, including assault, molestation, theft, and vandalism. Hours after it was known that Kolkata rape accused Manojit Mishra had earlier attempted to murder a student and had thrashed a cop, several other cases that were earlier registered against him have come to the fore. The list of other cases against the prime accused in the Kolkata law college gangrape case suggests that he has been a repeat offender. In 2017, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Mishra was assaulting and threatening a person. In July 2019, a complaint was lodged against him at the Gariahat Police Station in Kolkata, accusing him of tearing off a female student's clothes at the South Kolkata Law College. On December 31, 2019, Mishra, after attending a party at a friend's house, had allegedly stolen a music system and some expensive items. A complaint in this regard against him was lodged at the Haridevpur Police Station. In 2022, a woman from Kolkata's Swinhoe Street had filed a molestation complaint against Manojit Mishra at the Kasba Police Station. In 2024, he was accused of assaulting a college guard and was also accused of vandalism on the college campus, according to a police complaint. In 2025, another complaint against him mentioned that he had thrashed a cop. In the latest, the DNA samples of the three accused in the Kolkata law college gang rape case were collected on Monday as a part of the investigation of the crime. The police also suspect that the torture of the 24-year-old woman was pre-planned. The three arrested accused – alumnus Monojit Mishra and current students Pratim Mukherjee and Zaid Ahmed – were taken to the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, where their body fluid, urine and hair samples were collected for forensic examination. The first-year student of South Calcutta Law College in the city's Kasba area was gang-raped allegedly by the three on the evening of June 25. A team of doctors extracted the samples from the accused, and the process lasted for nearly eight hours and were sent to the forensic examination. Sleuths of a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) have prepared a list of over 25 people, mostly students of South Calcutta Law College, who were present at the institution on June 25. Meanwhile, the state education department on Monday recommended the suspension of Mishra from the position he was holding as a contractual employee of the South Calcutta Law College. First Published:
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Time of India
Calcutta HC grants permission to advocates to file PILs over law student's 'gang rape'
The Calcutta High Court Monday granted permission to three advocates to file separate PILs over the alleged gang rape of a law student in her college. They are seeking an investigation under the supervision of the court and steps to ensure security in colleges across West Bengal. Drawing attention of a division bench presided by Justice Soumen Sen, the three advocates sought permission of the court to file separate PILs over the alleged gang rape of the law student. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now Undo The bench granted permission to the lawyers to file the petitions. The matters are likely to be taken up for hearing later this week, one of the lawyers who moved the court said. Live Events The survivor has alleged that she was gang-raped inside the South Kolkata Law College on June 25. Based on the alleged gang rape survivor's complaint, the police have arrested prime accused alumnus Manojit Mishra, along with students Promit Mukherjee and Zaid Ahmed. A guard of the college was also apprehended on Saturday morning, according to the police. Kolkata Police formed a five-member special investigation team (SIT), led by an assistant commissioner rank officer, to probe the case. PTI
