'Controlled 10–15 admissions a year': How gang rape accused Monojit Mishra built muscle power at Kolkata law college with cash and clout
KOLKATA: Monojit Mishra , the key accused in the campus rape case , reportedly controlled 10 to 15 admissions each year, with the going rate ranging from Rs 50,000 to a couple of lakhs. Sources said his muscle power on campus stemmed from his financial clout.
Current students of the law college recalled seeing Monojit, also known as 'Mango', standing near a tea stall by the college gate or under a nearby tree, striking up conversations with candidates during admission season.
"When I came to this college to take my admission, I met Monojit at the tea stall. He told me if I knew anyone seeking to study law, I could connect the person with him. The amount would be Rs 50,000 to a couple of lakhs," said a student, now in second year.
Another second-year student, Vaagmi Trivedi, said, " Monojit controlled 10 to 15 admissions a year in exchange for money. Students have to rank within 500 in the law entrance tests to get admission. But we have students with ranks even higher than 2,000 in the general category taking admission." Case in point, said students, was Zaib Ahmed, the second accused, who ranked 2,634 in the law entrance test.
Another law student shared Mango played a proactive role in " backdoor admissions ". "He fixed rates for backdoor entry, charging Rs 50,000 to Rs 1-3 lakh. Students who got seats this way became Monojit's followers. These admissions took place parallelly with the regular process. Sometimes, after the first round was over, the seats left vacant were filled with 'backdoor entries'."
A girl pointed at the tea stall. "They'd hang out there and prey on desperate students with poor ranks, promising them seats at a price. Some of them would, in turn, play the same role the following year, continuing the cycle of exploitation," claimed the girl, adding Monojit also collected money from students for cultural programmes and fests and there were several financial irregularity cases against him.
An insider pointed out admissions for money had always been there. "The official number of seats is 120. But at least 10 to 15 more seats are sold for a huge sum. Mango was ousted from the college TMCP unit in 2021 and in 2022, corruption allegations were raised against other TMCP unit members. The unit was dissolved and Mango was unofficially given charge of the college in 2023. His job of an ad-hoc staff in 2024 was to control college affairs and admissions," the insider said.
Current students of the law college recalled seeing Monojit, also known as 'Mango', standing near a tea stall by the college gate or under a nearby tree, striking up conversations with candidates during admission season.
"When I came to this college to take my admission, I met Monojit at the tea stall. He told me if I knew anyone seeking to study law, I could connect the person with him. The amount would be Rs 50,000 to a couple of lakhs," said a student, now in second year.
Another second-year student, Vaagmi Trivedi, said, " Monojit controlled 10 to 15 admissions a year in exchange for money. Students have to rank within 500 in the law entrance tests to get admission. But we have students with ranks even higher than 2,000 in the general category taking admission." Case in point, said students, was Zaib Ahmed, the second accused, who ranked 2,634 in the law entrance test.
Another law student shared Mango played a proactive role in " backdoor admissions ". "He fixed rates for backdoor entry, charging Rs 50,000 to Rs 1-3 lakh. Students who got seats this way became Monojit's followers. These admissions took place parallelly with the regular process. Sometimes, after the first round was over, the seats left vacant were filled with 'backdoor entries'."
A girl pointed at the tea stall. "They'd hang out there and prey on desperate students with poor ranks, promising them seats at a price. Some of them would, in turn, play the same role the following year, continuing the cycle of exploitation," claimed the girl, adding Monojit also collected money from students for cultural programmes and fests and there were several financial irregularity cases against him.
An insider pointed out admissions for money had always been there. "The official number of seats is 120. But at least 10 to 15 more seats are sold for a huge sum. Mango was ousted from the college TMCP unit in 2021 and in 2022, corruption allegations were raised against other TMCP unit members. The unit was dissolved and Mango was unofficially given charge of the college in 2023. His job of an ad-hoc staff in 2024 was to control college affairs and admissions," the insider said.
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