KOLKATA, June 30 — Monojit Mishra, the main accused in the Kolkata law college gang-rape case, has a long and troubling criminal record involving multiple cases of sexual harassment and violent crimes, police confirmed on Monday.
Mishra, a former student of South Calcutta Law College, allegedly led the sexual assault on a female student on campus on June 25. However, his involvement in criminal activity reportedly dates back over a decade and extends far beyond the college walls.
“He is a history-sheeter with a string of FIRs against him at several police stations in south Kolkata,” a senior officer involved in the case said. “These include sexual assault, physical violence, and intimidation.”
Documents accessed by PTI show at least seven complaints and FIRs naming Mishra, in addition to the latest gang-rape FIR that also implicates two other students. These cases were registered at police stations in Kasba, Gariahat, Kalighat, Tollygunge, and Anandapur.
Mishra first disappeared from public view in 2013—the same year he enrolled at South Calcutta Law College—after being charged with stabbing a youth near Chetla Bridge under Kalighat police station. He was subsequently rusticated but had already established his influence on campus through his association with the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP).
“In December 2016, he led a mob to vandalise college property. FIRs were filed at Kasba police station, but curiously, those cases went nowhere,” said Titas Manna, a former student.
Despite multiple allegations, Mishra re-enrolled at the college in 2017 and remained until graduating in 2022. Several contemporaries describe him as a “perpetual troublemaker” who routinely summoned girls to the TMCP-run union room and subjected them to harassment.
“There is a consistent pattern of sexual aggression in complaints made against him,” a senior police official noted. “The disturbing part is the lack of follow-up action.”
Manna recounted a 2018 case where two female students filed complaints with both the college authorities and the Gariahat police, accusing Mishra of molestation and criminal intimidation. “They even recorded their statements before a magistrate, but the police never made an arrest,” he said.
Another FIR was lodged in 2022, accusing Mishra of outraging a woman’s modesty. In May 2024, the college filed yet another complaint after Mishra allegedly assaulted a security guard.
“He was known for using the union room like his personal space—drinking, summoning girls, harassing them. We tried to intervene, but he didn’t stop,” a classmate recalled.
Despite warnings from TMCP leadership and repeated complaints from students, Mishra maintained a powerful hold over the campus. “He was once vice-president of the TMCP unit in the college, but even after being thrown out, he kept claiming to be president and defied all warnings to stay away,” a former student said.
One former female student recounted an incident during a student picnic where Mishra allegedly molested her friend. “We reported it, but nothing came of it,” she said.
The ongoing police investigation into the June 25 gang-rape has once again brought to light the alleged culture of impunity surrounding Mishra. Survivors and students are now calling for accountability—not just for the accused, but for the years of inaction that allowed his behaviour to escalate unchecked.
