'...If Friend Rapes His Friend': Kalyan Banerjee's Controversial Remark on Kolkata Law College Rape Case Sparks Row

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee’s remarks on the Kolkata law college gangrape case sparked a controversy. Banerjee said that nothing could be done if a friend is raped by another friend. The Bharatiya Janata Party condemned the TMC MP’s remarks.

"What can be done if a friend rapes his friend. Will the police be in schools? This was done by students to another student. Who will protect her (victim)?" Banerjee said as reported by NDTV.

"Who does all this criminality and molestation? Some men do it. So, who should women fight against? Women should fight against these perverted men,” he added.

However, the TMC MP refused to comment on the links of the main accused in the case with his party. “I am saying the same thing again and again. Whoever has done it must be arrested immediately. But if a friend rapes a friend, how can that be corruption?” Banerjee said as reported by the media house.

A 24-year-old law college was allegedly gangraped in the guard room of the college on Wednesday, June 25. Police arrested three accused on Thursday night (June 26) after the student filed a complaint. The matter came to light early Friday (June 27). The three accused have been identified as 31-year-old Monojit Mishra and two current students, Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20). Notably, Mishra is a former student and practising criminal lawyer,

The rape survivor alleged that the three accused lured her to the guard room. As per the woman, she was locked in the room and then Mishra allegedly sexually assaulted her, while two other accused assisted him.

On Saturday, the police also took a security guard of the college into custody.

As per the NDTV report, the survivor’s statement also mentioned that she was hit with a hockey stick on her head.

Mishra reportedly had links with TMC’s student wing. The woman alleged that Mishra is an unofficial head of the college TMCP unit. The BJP released several photos of Mishra with TMC leaders.

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RG Kar Medical College Rape Case:

The incident surfaced almost a year after the RG college rape case. A post-graduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered by Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, in August last year at state-run RG Kar Medical College. He was arrested on August 10, a day after the medic's body was recovered from the seminar room of the hospital. The incident sparked nationwide protests.

In January this year, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Kolkata's Sealdah convicted Roy and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Published on: Saturday, June 28, 2025, 12:07 PM IST