Monojit Mishra, the prime accused in the Kolkata College gang rape case after being hired as a contractual staff by the college was placed incharge of handling student queries in August 2024. He was given this responsibility only a month after he was hired.
Two months prior, the college had launched an FIR against Mishra.
Past Behaviours on Campus
Mishra’s job assignment came two months after the Vice-Principal of South Calcutta Law College had filed an FIR against Mishra for physically assaulting a security guard and damaging college property.
The campus authorities had raised complaints against Mishra long before the FIR. These complaints about his behaviour occurred during his time as a student at the law college. He had enrolled in 2007. He was due to graduate in 2012, but dropped out before completing the course. He rejoined in 2017 and passed out in 2022, according to NDTV.
According to The Telegraph, on March 23, 2022, the vice-principal wrote to the then joint commissioner of Kolkata Police, flagging concerns that Mishra might disrupt a college event at Ahindra Mancha in Chetla the next day.
He wrote, “Monojit Mishra, a student of this college, along with his associates, has created problems during other college programmes in the past and has threatened to disrupt the social programme on March 24, 2022. We will be highly obliged if you grant us the permission for the event and provide necessary security on the said event date,” the letter read.
Seven years earlier, in December 2018, a similar letter was sent by then college principal Debasis Chattopadhayay.
Chattopadhayay’s letter addressed to Calcutta’s joint commissioner of police, headquarters, said: “Monojit Mishra, a student of this college, with his associates, has created problems during other college programmes in the past and has threatened to disrupt the social programme on December 13, 2018.”
In July 2019, a police report was filed against Misha for ripping off the dress of a woman student in South Calcutta Law College, reported NDTV. In 2017, Monojit was allegedly involved in an incident of vandalism at the college's principal's office.
Growing Influence
A notice signed by Vice-Principal Nayna Chatterji, uploaded on the college website on August 13, 2024, stated: “Students are hereby informed that any query related to students' dealings with the college may kindly contact Monojit Mishra and Pallab Adhikary till further notice.”
Reportedly, this notice remained on the college website until five days after the rape took place. It was later updated with only Adhikary’s name on it. The college put up a notice on July 4, stating they are to reopen to students on Monday and to contact Adhikary for any queries.
The Telegraph reported that a member of the college's governing body said, “Adhikary was handling student affairs alone since 2014. Once Mishra joined, he was also given that responsibility — and listed first in the notice, ahead of Adhikary, suggesting an order of preference.”
Another teacher from the campus claimed that Mishra was able to grow his influence in college administration after being authorised to handle queries. He said, “He started controlling CCTV access at the two gates of the college, installed after a ragging case in December 2022. The vice-principal gave him control of CCTV footage”.
The teacher stated that Mishra admitted students without the required ranks in Calcutta University’s entrance test and even organised college fests, reported The Telegraph.
Survivor and Father Speak Out
In an interview with NDTV, the survivor reported that the crime took place at various locations on the college campus for over three hours. She said, “I fought back, I cried and asked him to let me go, I even touched his feet, but he didn't let me go.”
The father of the survivor told NDTV that his daughter had called him after the crime, asking him to pick her up from college. He says, after hearing his daughter, he reported the crime to the police, “My family and I are in trauma.”
