He Is A Rapist”: Trinamool Disowns Student Leader Accused In Kolkata Horror

After the ‘gang-rape’ of a law student in Kolkata triggered a political firestorm, the Trinamool Congress has admitted that the main accused is linked to the party’s student wing but insisted that this would not come in the way of him getting the strictest possible punishment. 

The law student was allegedly raped at the South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata’s Kasba area on Wednesday by Monojit Mishra – a 31-year-old former student of the college, who is now a practising lawyer – and two students, identified as 19-year-old Zaib Ahmed and 20-year-old Pramit Mukhopadhyay. All three have been arrested.

Monojit Mishra is a member of the Trinamool Congress’ student wing and the BJP has shared photographs of him with senior members of the ruling party, including MP, National General Secretary and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, and Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. 

Holding a press conference on Friday evening, Bengal Minister Shashi Panja said in Bengali, “The West Bengal Assembly had passed the Aparajita Bill (on death penalty for rape convicts) and it has still not been made a law. Why? Because the BJP has blocked it. We don’t want to do politics. If you are serious, support the bill. A woman’s body is not a battleground for your politics. It has to be respected.”

“You have to understand the pain of the victim and respect her. We have to ensure she gets justice… There are some parties that have called rapists ‘sanskaari’ (cultured) and garlanded them. We don’t do that. This is a serious incident and we are very pained by it. The Kolkata Police has taken action and there will be a proper investigation. The people behind the crime will be punished,” she added.