"He is a rapist": TMC disowns student leader accused of rape in college; vows no leniency

A case of alleged gang rape of a law student at a Kolkata college has ignited a political storm, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) acknowledging that one of the main accused is affiliated with its student wing. The party, however, insisted that this association will not shield him from facing the full force of the law. The incident reportedly took place on Wednesday at South Calcutta Law College in the Kasba locality. The complainant, a female law student, has accused 31-year-old Monojit Mishra—a former student of the college and now a practising lawyer—along with 19-year-old Zaib Ahmed and 20-year-old Pramit Mukhopadhyay, of sexually assaulting her on campus. All three accused have been arrested.

Monojit Mishra's association with the TMC’s student body has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which circulated photographs of Mishra with high-ranking TMC leaders, including MP Abhishek Banerjee—Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew—and Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. Responding to the outrage, West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja addressed the media on Friday and accused the BJP of politicising the matter. She pointed out that the state's legislative assembly had earlier passed the Aparajita Bill, which proposed the death penalty for rape convicts, but it has yet to become law due to alleged obstruction by the BJP. “A woman’s body is not a battleground for your politics. We want justice, not blame games,” she said. Panja stressed that justice for the survivor must remain the top priority and urged all parties to approach the issue with sensitivity and seriousness. “There are parties who have garlanded rapists and called them ‘sanskaari’. We are not among them. We are deeply anguished by this incident. The Kolkata Police has acted promptly, and a thorough investigation is underway,” she stated.

The leadership of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) also issued a statement. Trinakur Bhattacharya, who heads the student body, acknowledged Mishra’s previous involvement with the TMCP but said the accused held only a junior role several years ago. “He was not part of any organisational committee after 2021. Our student wing has no active unit in that college,” Bhattacharya clarified. He also criticised what he called a political smear campaign aimed at discrediting senior TMC figures. “Why is the focus not on ensuring justice for the survivor? Instead, there is a deliberate attempt to link this to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. We never denied that Mishra was once a member, but linking this crime to our present leadership is misleading,” Bhattacharya said, adding that a photo circulating of Mishra with Abhishek Banerjee dates back to 2017. The TMC, he stressed, stands with the survivor and supports the legal process. “It doesn’t matter what political affiliation the accused had. He has committed a horrific crime and should be punished accordingly,” Bhattacharya said.

Senior TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh also reacted strongly to the incident, condemning the crime and dismissing any attempts to soften its severity based on party ties. “Such individuals are no less than animals. Their identity, post, or political alignment doesn’t matter. People like them deserve the harshest punishment,” Ghosh said. The BJP, meanwhile, has used the case to target the ruling party, accusing it of sheltering criminal elements and questioning its commitment to women’s safety. The incident is expected to escalate further in Bengal’s already charged political atmosphere, with both parties trading barbs over accountability and moral responsibility. As public anger mounts and investigations proceed, the focus must remain firmly on justice for the survivor. While political affiliations are under scrutiny, what the people of Bengal expect is a fair probe, a swift judicial process, and systemic change that ensures such incidents are not repeated—regardless of who is in power.