A CCTV footage showing a Kolkata law student being dragged by two accused from the college gate to inside college premises where she was raped earlier this week has surfaced, sources in the Kolkata Police have told NDTV.
The 24-year-old woman of the South Calcutta Law College was allegedly raped by two senior students and an alumnus of the institute in the guard’s room on June 25.
The video clip appears to corroborate the survivor’s complaint, in which she said that the prime accused, Manojit Mishra, instructed two others to forcibly take her to the guard room.
“The CCTV footage confirms the woman’s allegations. It shows the movements of the three accused, the security guard, and the victim. We are currently examining the footage,” said a police officer.
The police suspect that the law college student was gang-raped as she turned down the marriage proposal of the main accused, said a police officer.
Four people – Manojit Mishra, Promit Mukherjee, Zaid Ahmed and the college guard – have been arrested so far. It is alleged that Manojit raped the student, while the other two shot videos to blackmail her later.
Manojit Mishra is part of the Trinamool’s youth wing, but the party has insisted that this won’t protect him from the harshest punishment.
The issue brought to fore the different voices emanating from the ruling party in the state.
MP Kalyan Banerjee’s remark on the case has been flagged as victim-blaming. “If a friend rapes a friend, how can you ensure security? Will there be police in schools? This was done by students to another student. Who will protect her (victim)?”
MLA Madan Mitra, another Trinamool leader, appeared to echo his colleague’s view. “This incident has sent a message to girls that if someone calls you when the college is closed, don’t go; nothing good will come of it. If that girl had not gone there, this incident wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
Amid an escalating row, the Trinamool has distanced itself from the two leaders’ remarks, saying “these views do not reflect the position of the party”.
Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra condemned the remarks of her fellow party members, saying “misogyny in India cuts across party lines”. “What differentiates @AITCofficial is that we condemn these disgusting comments no matter who makes them,” she added.
On Saturday, the survivor was taken to the college for reconstruction of the crime, said the police.
A five-member special investigation team (SIT), led by an assistant commissioner rank officer, is probing the case, even as outrage over the incident continues to grow.
The state witnessed several protests over the alleged gang rape incident.
In another development, BJP president JP Nadda has formed a four-member committee which will visit the state to investigate the matter and submit its findings, the party’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra said.
