Kolkata Student Had Panic Attack, Accused Arranged Inhaler, Then Raped Her

The 24-year-old law student of a Kolkata college, who has alleged that an alumnus and two current students raped her on campus, has said in her complaint that she suffered a panic attack before the assault and that the main accused, Monojit Mishra, asked a co-accused to get an inhaler for her. Once the inhaler was brought, the survivor took a puff, felt some relief and tried to escape, but the main gate had been locked. She was then dragged to another room and Mishra allegedly raped her as co-accused Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay recorded the act.

The shocking crime, less than a year after the heinous rape-murder of a doctor in the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has put the Trinamool Congress government in a spot, especially because of the main accused Monojit Mishra's links to the ruling party. While the Trinamool says the accused will face harsh punishment irrespective of their political links, the Opposition alleges it is the ruling party's support that enables those like Monojit.

Narrating the horror, the victim has said in her complaint that on June 25, she was on campus along with others for a political meeting. When she was leaving, Monojit asked her to stay back. Later, he tried to force her into having sex. "I denied and fought back by not letting him do anything and pushing him back. I continuously cried and asked him to let me go," she said in her complaint, adding that she told Monojit that she had a boyfriend and she loved him.

"But he did not agree. He went on forcing me. And after that for all these, I had a panic attack and (started) having shortness of breath...I asked them to take me to Ruby General Hospital. Then I told them at least to bring an inhaler for me. 'M' (Zaib) bought that," she has said. "I took it and felt better and I packed my things and went outside to escape and saw that they have locked the main gate and guard was helpless and did not help," she wrote.

The survivor has said the co-accused Zaib and Pramit forcefully took her to the union room. She has said she touched Monojit's feet and begged him to let her go. He told the co-accused to take her to the guard's room and make the guard sit outside -- a fact established in the CCTV footage. Monojit then undressed her and raped her, the survivor has said. "When I fought back, he blackmailed me, threatened me which he was doing from before. He threatens me that he will kill my boyfriend and he will arrest my parents (sic)," she wrote.

"I still fought back and then he shown me two videos of mine being naked when he raped me. He threatened me to show everyone this videos if I don't cooperate and if I don't come whenever he calls me (sic)," she has written in her chilling account.

At one point, she wrote, she suffered an injury to her head, but the assault continued. "I was fighting for life. He also tried to hit me with a hockey stick. I just let myself (be) like a dead body."

After the assault, she has said, Monojit threatened her to stay mum. She then left the college, called her father and asked him to pick him up.

The survivor's statement has been corroborated by the CCTV footage that shows the accused dragging her to the crime scene. Local media have also tracked down the medicine store Zaib bought the inhaler from. The store staff confirmed that he came and bought an inhaler during the time the survivor mentioned in her complaint.