Manojit Misra reportedly posed as a TMCP recruiter despite being ousted from the unit in 2021. (image-Facebook/Monojit Mishra)
Kolkata, West Bengal: Manojit Misra, the prime accused in the brutal gang rape of a law student at South Calcutta Law College, is no stranger to the law. According to senior Kolkata Police officials, the 31-year-old has at least five serious cases registered against him over the past 12 years, including charges of attempted murder, sexual assault, extortion, and vandalism, reported Indian Express.
His criminal record, dating back to 2013, is now under fresh scrutiny as questions arise over how a man with such a rap sheet continued to roam freely, often within the very college where he committed his earliest offences.
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Alleged Stabbing, Vandalism and More
Misra’s alleged criminal journey began barely a year into his college education in 2012. In 2013, he reportedly stabbed a fellow student in the chest on campus. Though an FIR was filed at the time, police failed to arrest him, and Misra remained untraceable for the next three years. He resurfaced in 2017, was again accused of vandalism, and reportedly continued exerting control and fear within the campus.
Despite further FIRs for alleged extortion, molestation, and wrongful confinement over the years, including a formal complaint by a first-year student in 2022 for ragging and sexual harassment, Misra avoided prolonged detention or conviction.
College insiders alleged that Misra was shielded by powerful political backing, reported Indian Express. A former member of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the student wing of the ruling Trinamool Congress, Misra reportedly posed as a recruiter for the student body and maintained a physical presence inside the campus union office despite being ousted from the unit in 2021.
His appointment as a temporary staffer at the law college in recent years was made on the recommendation of the college’s general body, which is chaired by Trinamool MLA Ashok Deb. Misra, by then a practising lawyer at the Alipore court, continued to influence student affairs and intimidate others, Indian Express reported, citing sources.
Kolkata Police maintain that Misra had been arrested in the past, including as recently as March or April this year, but confirmed he was granted bail. In most of the earlier cases, police said, the complaints stemmed from group clashes with counter-allegations—making convictions difficult. However, students claim that consistent failure to act only emboldened Misra.
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The Gang-Rape Case
The current charges against Misra are deeply disturbing. In May 2025, he allegedly drugged and gang-raped a female student on campus, filmed the assault, and then struck her on the head with a hockey stick. He also allegedly threatened to frame her boyfriend and have her parents arrested if she spoke out. Two other TMCP-affiliated students, Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), were also arrested in connection with the crime.
According to police, Misra had a pattern of digitally exploiting women, including morphing photographs and body shaming them in private groups. “Even during last year’s RG Kar case, he used Facebook demanding capital punishment for the perpetrators and then threatened people against participating in ‘reclaim the night’ protest,” a student told the media outlet.
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the ruling TMC and Kolkata Police of “nurturing a monster.” In a scathing post on X (formerly Twitter), the BJP wrote, ““Manojit Misra is not just an individual failure — he is a symbol of how TMC and police together bred a beast under state protection.”
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the latest case and sought a report from the Kolkata Police Commissioner within 72 hours. All three accused in the rape case are currently in police custody until July 2. Investigation is ongoing.
