Heavy police deployment marked the reopening of South Calcutta Law College on Monday, as classes resumed following a shocking gangrape allegation that has triggered public outrage and legal scrutiny.
The return to academic activity comes amid an ongoing investigation and directions from the Calcutta High Court to restore normalcy while maintaining stringent guidelines.
Court-Mandated Guidelines In Place
Advocate and guest lecturer Somnath Mukherjee confirmed that the college is complying with all court-issued directives.
“We have already submitted to the high court. The high court has given some guidelines, and we will follow them,” he told reporters.
One of the key orders involves the closure of students’ union rooms—not just at South Calcutta Law College, but across all colleges and universities in West Bengal—until student union elections are held and results are officially declared.
This decision, passed last Thursday, aims to ensure order and prevent any escalation of tensions during the ongoing probe.
Crime Scene Reconstruction Conducted
On Friday, West Bengal Police brought the arrested accused to the college campus for a reconstruction of the crime scene as part of the investigation process. The accused were taken through the sequence of events that allegedly took place on June 25, when a student reported being gang-raped inside the college premises in the Kasba area of Kolkata.
The Calcutta High Court is also hearing three Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed in connection with the alleged gangrape. In a recent hearing, the court questioned the role and responsibility of the college’s governing body, asking why it had not been made a party in the case. The court also directed the West Bengal Higher Education Department to respond.
Ongoing Investigation & Arrests
On July 2, Kolkata Police announced that its Detective Department would take over the investigation, underlining the seriousness of the case.
Earlier, on June 30, the police reported that three main accused—Monojit, Pramit, and Zaib—had been arrested within 12 hours of the complaint being filed. The Alipore court subsequently sent them to police custody until July 8.
A fourth accused, security guard Pinaki, was also arrested and sent to custody until July 4.
A College Under Watch
As investigations continue, South Calcutta Law College remains under close police watch. The reopening of classes, under the shadow of a grave crime, signals a cautious attempt to return to academic routine while ensuring justice is served and order is maintained.
The next court hearing and further investigation findings are expected to shed more light on the incident and institutional accountability.
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