Kolkata Rape Case: HC Directs Education Dept To Shut Down Union Rooms In All Colleges

Last Updated:July 03, 2025, 19:56 IST

The Calcutta HC ordered the state education department to close union rooms in all colleges and universities in West Bengal after a 24-year-old student was allegedly gang-raped.

The South Calcutta Law College where the 24-year-old was raped. (PTI)

While hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) in connection with the alleged gang-rape of a 24-year-old student inside a south Kolkata law college, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the state education department to shut down union rooms in all colleges and universities across West Bengal.

“The division bench of Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das De has directed the state education department to shut down union rooms in all colleges and universities across the state," Hindustan Times reported, citing advocate and petitioner Sayan Banerjee.

A Division Bench of Justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De ordered the state government to explain the steps it has taken in connection with the investigation in the gangrape case of a law student during the hearing of a separate PIL.

This comes after a 24-year-old law student was allegedly gang-raped on June 25 inside the law college campus in Kasba. Four people have been arrested in connection with the incident so far.

Former student of the college and now non-teaching staff Monojit Mishra (31), along with two students — Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukherjee (20) — were arrested on June 26, while a security guard of the college was arrested the following day. 

According to the police, the alleged incident occurred between 7.30 pm and 10.50 pm, when the woman had gone to fill out some forms for an upcoming exam. 

Petitioner Banerjee pointed out that in a 2023 petition concerning a ragging case, the state government had submitted an affidavit to a division bench led by then Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, claiming that no student unions or councils existed in colleges and universities, as student elections had not been held.

The court ruled that these rooms cannot be used for any purpose, and any exceptions require submitting an application to the university registrar with valid justification.

According to HT, the woman, who was allegedly the TMCP’s women’s wing secretary in the college, in her complaint said that she was asked by the accused to stay back for some discussions.

As per the social media account of Mishra, a former student of the college who is currently a non-teaching staffer, he was a key office-bearer of the student wing of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). However, the ruling party said he never held any important position.

The survivor stated in the complaint that Mishra is a criminal lawyer practising at the Alipore court in Kolkata and also works as contractual staff at the college.

At least three separate petitions were filed before the division bench of Justice Sen after the law college gang-rape case. While Banerjee’s petition challenged the use of union rooms without elected student unions, two other petitions demanded a court-supervised investigation into the incident.

“We have sought a probe by an independent agency, which would be monitored by the high court. It could be a CBI probe or a probe by a retired judge. We have also raised five questions – how can Mishra, who was expelled from the college, take readmission? What were students and union leaders doing in the union room after college hours? How can weapons be found in the union room? How can a person with around 10 pending cases get a job in college? What steps have colleges and universities taken to ensure women’s safety," HT quoted advocate and petitioner in one PIL, Souma Subhra Ray, as saying.

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