Kolkata Law Student Gang-Rape Sparks Political Firestorm Between BJP and TMC

 India – June 28, 2025 – The alleged gang-rape of a law student in Kolkata has ignited a fierce political blame game in West Bengal, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claiming direct links between one of the accused and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), even sharing photographs to support its allegations. The TMC has vehemently denied the accusations, calling for an end to the politicization of the heinous crime.

The incident, which reportedly occurred on the evening of Wednesday, June 25, 2025, inside the premises of South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba area, led to swift police action. A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged on Thursday, June 26. Three individuals have been arrested: Manojit Mishra (31), a former student and contractual staffer at the college; and Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukherjee (20), both current students. Manojit Mishra and Zaib Ahmed were arrested on Thursday, June 26, while Pramit Mukherjee was apprehended in the early hours of Friday, June 27. Medical reports have since confirmed injuries consistent with sexual assault. All three were produced before the Alipore Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on Thursday morning and remanded to police custody until July 1.

BJP's Allegations of TMC Link: On Friday, June 27, 2025, the BJP launched a scathing attack on the TMC. BJP's national spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari, and the party's IT chief, Amit Malviya, took to social media to share images purportedly showing accused Manojit Mishra with senior TMC leaders, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew and MP, Abhishek Banerjee, and state Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya.

"Yet again, Mamata Banerjee's government is found standing with the accused! Manojit Mishra is a TMC member," Pradeep Bhandari stated. Amit Malviya echoed this, asking, "Why the silence? Who are they shielding?" He also alleged that the Trinamool Congress was a "party of rapists and protector of rapists," accusing the state government of a cover-up. The BJP has called for statewide protests and challenged the government to address the alleged party links.

TMC's Rebuttal and Focus on Swift Justice: In response, TMC leaders have condemned the crime and urged the opposition not to politicize the tragedy. On Friday, June 27, 2025, Bengal Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja addressed a press conference, expressing distress over the incident and emphasizing the swift action taken by the Kolkata Police.

"There was an immediate postmortem and dissection to look at the names and the religion. You have to condemn the incident. You are now trying to show photographs," Panja said, referring to the BJP's tactics. She defended the police, stating that all three accused were arrested within 12 hours of the complaint, their mobile phones seized, and the victim's statement recorded. "The BJP cannot even think the way Kolkata Police swung into action," she added, accusing the party of trying to malign the government.

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee also made controversial remarks on Friday, stating, "What can be done if a friend rapes his friend. Will the police be in schools? This was done by one student to another. Who will protect her?" His comments drew sharp condemnation from the BJP for appearing to deflect institutional accountability. However, other TMC leaders, like spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, called for strict punishment, emphasizing that "sexual violence against women is the most repulsive crime."

Ongoing Investigation and Broader Context: Police have seized the mobile phones of the accused for forensic analysis, as the survivor has alleged that the assault was filmed and she was threatened with the release of videos. Manojit Mishra is reportedly a former unit president of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the students' wing of the TMC, at the college, and had significant informal influence on campus even after graduating and later joining as a contractual staffer.

This incident has brought back grim memories of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case from less than a year ago, which also sparked widespread outrage and political controversy in West Bengal.