KOLKATA: The authorities of the South Calcutta Law College on Tuesday terminated service of its contractual employee, Manojit Mishra, the prime accused in the gang rape incident while other two accused, the students of the college, were expelled from the college.
Mishra, along with co-accused Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee, were arrested by the police. Meanwhile, the Alipore Court on Tuesday remanded three accused to further police custody till July 10.
After a meeting of the college’s governing body, its chairman and Trinamool Congress MLA Ashok Deb said, “The governing body has unanimously decided to terminate the services of Mishra and the two other students will be expelled with immediate effect. The security agency, assigned with the job of security of the college premises, will also be showcaused.”
It has also been decided to ensure that the other two accused students, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee, do not get admission in any other college following their expulsion. The governing body of the South Calcutta Law College met for the first time on Tuesday after the alleged gang rape incident.
The college authorities have said that they will provide all possible assistance to the police and administration to ensure exemplary punishment to the accused students.
Mishra, the prime accused, got a job as a temporary teaching staff of the college in 2024. The tenure was extended in stages subsequently. The college governing body has also decided that Mishra would have to return the money to the college that he got for offering his service as a contractual employee.
Questions have been raised about how the college authorities appointed Mishra as a temporary staff member despite the police complaint earlier.
In response, governing body member Haripada Banik said, "There were various complaints against the prime accused, which were reported to the police. But no action was taken against him. However, I cannot say how he got the job. Complaints were coming from within the college since he joined the job. He started a threat culture in the college.”
In today’s meeting the governing body decided that if the victim’s family wants, the college authorities will bear all the medical expenses of her. It will be ensured that outsiders are completely banned from entering the college.
Recently, some additional CCTVs were installed at the college campus. But after the alleged gang rape incident, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of those CCTVs.
The agency in-charge of CCTVs has been issued show-cause notice by the college authorities for dereliction of duties. After the incident, several CCTVs have been installed outside the college by the Kolkata Police.
In addition, from now onwards, female security guards will also be deployed along with male security guards in the college campus. Keeping in mind the current situation, the governing body has decided to close the college for the time being. The studies will start only after getting the green signal from the West Bengal Higher Education Department and the Kolkata Police.
However, once the college reopens, its timings will be changed. The college will be open from 7 am to 2 pm. The college governing body has also decided that from now onwards, no student will be allowed to stay inside the college after the college is closed.
Students of South Calcutta Law College on Tuesday held a demonstration, demanding safety on the college campus. They organised the protest in front of the college, holding placards and raising slogans for justice, and stressed the need for comprehensive reforms in the governing body of the institute.
Meanwhile, speaking about the progress of the investigation in this incident, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma said, “We have collected a lot of evidence. We are analyzing everything. The rest of the investigation process is progressing. We have received a lot of information, which is being analyzed. Whatever steps need to be taken are being taken.”
