"Good Student, That's Why He Became Advocate": 'Mango' Mishra's Father

Monojit Mishra, the main accused in the Kolkata law college rape case, was a good student and that's why he could become an advocate, his father Robin Mishra has told NDTV. He refused to speak about the case, which has sparked massive protests, and accused the media of running a parallel trial against his son.

A priest at Kolkata's Kalighat temple, Mr Mishra stays in a small house. His wife, Monojit's mother, suffers from neurological issues, he has said in earlier interviews.

Monojit Mishra is accused of raping a 24-year-old law student on the campus of a Kolkata college. An alumnus of the college, he had been working there as a contractual staff. Monojit earlier headed the Trinamool Congress student wing's unit on the campus and students of the college have said he exercised huge influence. They have accused him of being a repeat offender as far as harassing women is concerned. The Trinamool has now distanced itself from Monojit and said he would face strict punishment irrespective of his political links.

Monojit and his co-accused Pramit Mukhopadhyay and Zaib Ahmed have been arrested and are currently in police custody. Pramit and Zaib, it is alleged, recorded the sexual assault to blackmail the survivor later.

Mr Mishra today refused to speak about the case. "This is a subjudice matter. No citizen who believes in the Constitution must comment on this," he said. Asked about Monojit's family background, he replied, "What about his family background? We are ordinary, hardworking people." Asked about reports that Monojit lived separately, he replied, "Who said this?"

Mr Mishra said he believed in the country's Constitution, the administration and the investigation currently in progress. Asked about his son's links with Trinamool Congress, he said, "I do not know."

Targeting the media, he said, "You are running a parallel trial, hang him, hang me too." On the allegations against his son, he said, "Levelling allegations is not something new in this country." Monojit, he said, was good at studies. "That's why he became an advocate."