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‘History-sheeter’, campus neta, disowned by father: Kolkata gangrape accused Monojit Mishra has murky past
Kolkata gangrape accused Monojit Mishra has been chargesheeted in multiple cases, including sexual harassment, assault, vandalism, and theft.
Kolkata Police have identified and arrested Monojit Mishra as the prime accused in the gangrape of a 24-year-old first-year student at South Calcutta Law College. However, the first offence that Mishra has been linked with. Mishra has reportedly been named in multiple FIRs registered at police stations across Kalighat, Kasba, Alipore, Haridevpur, and Tollygunge.
The 31-year-old is reportedly a history-sheeter with a string of past criminal charges.
Monojit Mishra, who is a practising criminal lawyer at Alipore court, was arrested along with two others for allegedly assaulting the first-year student on the Kolkata college campus on June 25.
Police said the assault took place inside the security guard’s room between 7:30 PM and 10:50 PM on June 25. Mishra and two students — Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukherjee (20) — were arrested on Thursday, while the guard was taken into custody on Saturday. All four are associated with the college.
Mishra, though not a current student, was working at the college on a casual basis. Vice-principal Nayna Chatterji said that the college's governing body recruited him about 45 days ago on a contractual basis. “TMC legislator Ashok Kumar Deb is the president of the governing body,” she said. Deb denied involvement in his recommendation.
Multiple past cases, including theft and harassment
Mishra has been chargesheeted in multiple cases, including sexual harassment, assault, vandalism, and theft, reported The Telegraph. “Monojit Mishra is a history-sheeter with several cases and chargesheets against him in the Kolkata Police jurisdiction,” the newspaper quoted a senior officer as saying.
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Mishra’s criminal history stretches back years. In 2019, he allegedly tore a woman’s clothes inside the college premises, for which a chargesheet was filed. That same year, as reported by The Telegraph, he was accused of stealing personal belongings — including a gold chain, a music system, and perfume — from a friend’s home in Haridevpur on New Year’s Eve.
Also Read | FIR details horror of Kolkata law student’s gangrape: 'I touched his feet, he didn’t let go’
In 2022, he was again accused of harassing a woman in the Kasba area. Most recently, in May 2024, the college administration filed a police complaint after he allegedly assaulted a guard and damaged property on campus.
Father disowned him over violent past: Report
Mishra comes from a middle-class family in Kalighat. His father, Robin Mishra, is a temple priest, and his mother suffers from neurological issues, according to a NDTV report.
Also Read | Kolkata law college gang-rape accused had demanded the death penalty in RG Kar case
His father reportedly said that he had distanced himself from Monojit years ago due to his political activities and frequent fights.
Mishra once demanded death penalty for rapist
In a twist, Mishra had previously called for the death sentence for the accused in another rape case. On August 16 last year, after the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor inside RG Kar Medical College, he posted on social media: “Want death sentence for the rapist. Want justice and not drama. Want immediate justice.”
The same man is now accused of committing a similar crime.
Active on campus, linked to TMC's student wing
Monojit Mishra has described himself on social media platforms as the former unit head of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the student wing of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), at the law college.
Also Read | Refused marriage proposal, gang-raped in college: Kolkata law student tells police
He was also seen in public photos with senior TMC leaders, as shared by BJP leaders.
However, amid public outrage, the TMC has distanced itself from Mishra. TMCP state president Trinankur Bhattacharjee said that Mishra only held a minor role in the past. “When Mishra was a student, he was given the lowest post in TMCP’s South Kolkata district. In 2022, his name was not included in the new committee,” Bhattacharjee said. “Can any organisation take responsibility for what someone may do in their personal life later?”
TMC MLA Ashok Deb, who heads the college’s governing body, also denied any personal involvement in Mishra’s recruitment. “I never recommended his name. People often click pictures with me — I can’t be held accountable for their private actions,” he told the media.
