KOLKATA, June 28: Police on Saturday arrested the security guard of South Calcutta Law College in connection with the gang-rape of a first-year student inside the college premises earlier this week. The arrest brings the total number of accused in custody to four.
The 24-year-old woman was allegedly raped by three men, including an alumnus who is also a contractual staffer at the college. The crime reportedly occurred inside the guard’s room on the evening of June 25.
According to Kolkata Police officials, the security guard, initially detained for questioning, was taken into custody after his statements during interrogation were found to be inconsistent. “His replies were incoherent, and CCTV footage confirmed his presence at the college during the incident,” a senior officer said.
The officer further stated that the guard failed to perform his duty and did not intervene during the assault. “We are investigating whether he was on duty alone and why he left his post during the time of the crime. His silence and absence point to a kind of complicity,” the officer added.
The three other accused—two students and the alumnus—were arrested on Thursday. The medical report has confirmed the survivor’s allegations of gang rape, strengthening the prosecution’s case.
In her complaint, the survivor said she had gone to the college to fill out a test form when she was coerced into staying in the union room. The primary accused, a criminal lawyer and former student, allegedly raped her after she declined his marriage proposal. Meanwhile, two current students reportedly stood guard and filmed the act.
The torture, according to the survivor, began around 7:30 p.m. and continued past 10:30 p.m.
The prime accused is believed to be a former president of the college unit of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the student wing of the state’s ruling party. His social media profiles also describe him as an organisational secretary of the TMCP’s South Kolkata wing and show images of him with several prominent TMC leaders.
However, the Trinamool Congress has distanced itself from the accused, denying any present affiliation. “If found guilty, the accused must face the harshest punishment,” a party spokesperson said.
The incident has reignited outrage in the city, recalling last year’s rape and murder of a medical intern inside RG Kar Medical College.
Police have since sealed both the union room and the guard’s room at the college. Additional personnel have been deployed in and around the campus in Kasba, with a police picket set up at the main gate.
While traffic movement on the nearby Rashbehari Connector remained smooth on Saturday, the area had witnessed disruptions a day earlier as opposition parties—Left Front, Congress, and BJP—staged protests, accusing the TMC government of failing to protect women in educational institutions.
