Special Correspondent
Kolkata : In a shocking development in the Kolkata Law College gang rape case, the defense lawyer of the main accused has attempted to malign the character of the 24-year-old female victim. The lawyer argued in court that the scratch marks found on the accused’s body were not signs of resistance during sexual assault but were in fact “love bites.”
The incident took place on June 25, between 7:30 p.m. and 10:50 p.m., inside the college campus. As per the victim’s complaint, she was surrounded by three men two current students and one ex-student. Two of the accused allegedly dragged her to the room of the third accused, who then attempted to rape her inside a toilet.
In a disturbing courtroom argument, Raju Ganguly, the lawyer representing the main accused Monojit Mishra, questioned the medical findings by stating:“If it was a rape, how could there be love bites on the accused’s body?”
This argument directly challenges the prosecution’s medico-legal report, which noted scratch marks on Mishra’s body, suggesting that the victim tried to resist the assault.
The primary accused, 31-year-old Monojit Mishra, is a known leader of the Trinamool Congress’s student wing (TMCP). The other two accused are Jaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukherjee (20). The incident occurred inside the college guard room, raising serious questions about campus security.
Following the incident, police arrested all three accused and also took the college guard into custody for negligence. Monojit Mishra has been remanded to police custody until July 8.
Investigations have revealed that Monojit is a history-sheeter with several cases registered against him. He has previously faced charges of sexual assault, physical violence, vandalism, and theft. FIRs have been lodged against him at multiple police stations including Kalighat, Kasba, Alipore, Haridevpur, and Tollygunge. Notably, a few years ago, he was also accused of tearing a woman’s clothes inside the college campus.
Women’s rights activists and legal experts have condemned the attempt to shift the narrative in court from the alleged crime to the victim’s character. They assert that presenting such arguments—like claiming love bites on the accusedis a deliberate tactic to discredit the survivor and weaken the case.“This kind of defense is not only irrelevant but deeply disturbing. It’s a classic case of victim blaming that sets a dangerous precedent in cases of sexual violence,” said a senior women’s rights advocate.
