Kolkata: In a shocking development in the Kolkata law student gang rape case, police on Saturday arrested a security guard of South Calcutta Law College, bringing the total number of arrests to four. The guard, whose room on the college premises was the site of the assault, had earlier been detained for questioning.
According to officials, the guard's responses during interrogation were incoherent, and CCTV footage confirmed his presence during the incident. "He failed to carry out his duty and gave inconsistent answers about why he did not intervene or prevent the crime," said a senior police officer. Authorities are now probing whether he was the only one on duty at the time and why he left his post.
The incident occurred on the evening of June 25, when a 24-year-old first-year law student visited the college to fill out a form for a test. She was allegedly forced to remain in the union room, where she was gang-raped by three men, including an alumnus of the college who is also a criminal lawyer and a contractual non-teaching staff member.
The accused reportedly committed the assault after the victim rejected a marriage proposal. Two current students allegedly acted as accomplices, standing guard and recording the assault on their mobile phones. The torture began around 7:30 p.m. and continued for over three hours.
Medical examination results have confirmed the survivor's allegations. In her complaint, she accused the security guard of refusing to help her. Following her statement and supporting evidence, three of the accused were arrested on Thursday.
Social media accounts linked to the prime accused claim he was a former president of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad unit at the college and an organisational secretary of the TMC’s south Kolkata student wing. Photos in the public domain show him with leaders of the ruling party. However, the Trinamool Congress has denied any current association with the accused and has called for "severe punishment" if he is found guilty.
The crime has triggered strong public outrage, drawing comparisons to the rape and murder of an intern at RG Kar Medical College in August last year. On Friday, opposition parties — the Left Front, Congress, and BJP — staged protests, accusing the TMC-led state government of failing to protect women in academic and professional environments.
In response, police have sealed both the guard's room and the union room connected to the assault. The college campus in south Kolkata’s Kasba area remains under tight security, with increased deployment inside and outside the premises. A permanent police picket has also been stationed at the college gate.
While demonstrations disrupted traffic along Rashbehari Connector on Friday, movement resumed to normal levels by Saturday.
With PTI inputs