Kolkata: In an appalling case that has triggered national outrage, Monojit Mishra — a non-teaching staff member at South Calcutta Law College and a former student — has been arrested as the prime accused in the brutal gang-rape of a 24-year-old student on campus.

What is fuelling even deeper public anger is Mishra’s shocking hypocrisy. Just a year ago, during the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case, Mishra wrote on social media: “Want death sentence for the rapist. Want immediate justice.”

Now, he stands accused of the very crime he once claimed to abhor.

The alleged gang-rape occurred on June 25, between 7.30 PM and 10.50 PM, when the student — reportedly the TMCP women's wing secretary — had stayed back at the college to complete exam-related work. According to her police complaint, Mishra, along with two current students and a security guard, trapped her and sexually assaulted her inside the campus.

So far, four men have been arrested: Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), Pramit Mukherjee (20), and a security guard. The incident has triggered a political firestorm, especially after opposition leaders linked Mishra to the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Photos surfaced showing Mishra with TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, prompting BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari to allege that the accused was a key member of TMCP, TMC’s student wing. The TMC has downplayed the connection, claiming Mishra never held a significant role.

Vice-principal Nayna Chatterji confirmed that Mishra had been recruited just 45 days ago, on a contractual basis via the college governing body headed by TMC MLA Ashok Deb. Deb denied personally recommending Mishra but admitted that many people take pictures with public figures.

The political narrative aside, the survivor’s trauma is at the centre of this horrifying case. Her FIR was filed on June 26, the day after the alleged assault. She has identified all four accused and is now under mental health support.

In a rare moment of moral clarity, the father of one of the accused told media: “I’m first a citizen, then a father. If my son is guilty, he should be punished. We trust the Kolkata police and the law.”

This grim case echoes national debates on campus safety, political shielding, and the systemic failure to protect women, especially in institutions meant to uphold the law.

As investigations progress and the political blame game continues, public demand grows for swift, transparent justice — and for an end to the culture of impunity in Bengal’s educational institutions.