Kolkata: Law students, lawyers protest over campus gang rape case
Kolkata: Students of South Calcutta Law College where a woman was gang raped last month, held a demonstration Tuesday, demanding safety on the college campus.
They organised the protest in front of the college, holding placards and raising slogans for justice, and stressed the need for comprehensive reforms in the governing body of the institute.
Two students, accused of the gang rape of the 24-year-old woman, were expelled from the college, while the service of a contractual employee, the main accused, was terminated by the authorities.
A protesting student said, “Individuals involved in the incident cannot have a place in our college.”
Another protester said these people were damaging the reputation of the law college.
“Our parents sent us to college, trusting that the authorities would ensure our safety. What did we get in return?” asked one student, questioning the security arrangements on the college premises.
Protesters also called for the establishment of a neutral governing body and the inclusion of student representatives.
Prime accused Monojit Mishra, who was a contractual employee at the college, was among those expelled from the institute.
Mishra, along with co-accused Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee, has been arrested and remanded to police custody till July 1.
Meanwhile, around 100 lawyers of the Alipore Court also took out a protest on the court premises demanding exemplary punishment for the accused.
The lawyers, belonging to the Alipore court chapter of the All India Lawyers Union, went around the campus raising slogans against the incident.
On the other hand, BJP’s legal cell members belonging to the Alipore Court Lawyers’ Union submitted a letter to the Alipore Court Bar Association demanding that no lawyer represent the rape accused during hearing.
“The heinous crime has tarnished the state’s image. We need to give a strong message for women’s safety. It is a matter of shame that the prime accused is a practising lawyer, as per reports,” Subroto Sengupta said on behalf of the BJP lawyers’ forum.
He also demanded to know how a lawyer’s license could be granted to Mishra despite him being accused in several criminal cases in the past.
PTI
News