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Time of India
01-07-2025
- Time of India
Rape accused should be hanged, says law college vice-principal after GB meeting
1 2 Kolkata: The vice-principal of the law college where a first-year student was gang raped said the perpetrators should be hanged even as the governing body expelled Monojit Mishra and decided to appeal to the bar council for the cancellation of his licence to practice in court. "The rapists should be hanged for committing such a heinous crime on the college premises," Nayna Chatterjee, the vice-principal of the law college said after the governing body meeting on Tuesday. The meeting had been convened following a nudge from the higher education department to discuss issues that have come to the fore in the wake of the incident. The governing body expelled the key accused, Mishra, who was working as a casual staff member at the college since last year. He will also be asked to return the money that he had been paid by the college. Pramit Mukherjee and Zaib Ahmed — the other two accused — were barred from the campus and won't be able to get admission to any institute in Bengal. The governing body will also appeal to the bar council for the cancellation of Mishra's licence. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata College operating hours have been revised. The new timings will be from 7 am to 2 pm, instead of the previous schedule of 9 am to 4 pm. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Need To Kill Time On Your Computer, This Popular Strategy Game Is A Must Forge Of Empires Undo It has been decided that all college activities and services should be completed within this time period. No one will be allowed to stay on the college premises after working hours. If the family agrees, the governing body is ready to provide monetary assistance, including covering the survivors' medical treatment. New CCTV cameras will be installed at prominent positions. The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) has been formed following the Vishakha guidelines. The college had a seven-member sexual harassment cell that was non-functional, but a proper ICC was formed by the governing body on Tuesday. The governing body has terminated the contract with the private security agency and blacklisted it. The college will select a new security service provider, prioritising enhanced surveillance systems, strict personnel verification, and comprehensive security protocols to ensure safety on the college campus. The college will appoint female security staff, too. The governing body president Ashok Deb said: "GB has strongly condemned this incident, and we want all the accused to receive the highest punishment. No one will be spared, and GB members will cooperate with the investigative agency." He also stated that classes would stay suspended until police permission was given to start regular classes, but the office will be functional from Wednesday. Sibranjan Chatterji, the govt nominee and the veteran educationist in the governing body, said: "There were some complaints made against him that were not about molestation, and it was GB's decision, not the individual's." He also admitted that police verification was not done when a casual staff was appointed to check people's criminal records. Haripada Banik, teaching staff representative in the governing body, said, There were all types of pressures by Monojit and his associates, and he introduced a threat culture on the campus. " Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
States without protection for inter-faith, inter-caste couples in contempt of SC: Mihir Desai
Prominent human rights lawyer Mihir Desai has said that all States which have failed to put in place mechanisms for the protection of inter-faith and inter-caste couples are in contempt of the Supreme Court. He was referring to the apex court's 2018 Shaktivahini judgment, which directed all States to establish protective measures for such couples, including helplines, special cells, and safe houses. In an interview with The Hindu, Mr. Desai emphasised the urgent need for a national law to protect the rights of individuals entering interfaith and intercaste marriages. 'An overwhelming majority of the States do not have the mechanism to protect such couples. In fact, by not having these mechanisms, they are in complete violation of the Supreme Court orders. They are in contempt,' he said. Mr. Desai drew a parallel with the Vishakha guidelines on workplace sexual harassment, noting that codification into law could provide the much-needed legal framework. 'If a law is properly worded and drafted in the right spirit, it would be very welcome,' he added, while expressing doubt about the political will for such legislation. The lawyer was speaking in the context of a recent order issued by the Maharashtra government, which laid out detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the protection of inter-faith and inter-caste couples. The order followed sustained monitoring by the Bombay High Court in response to a petition filed by Mr. Desai on behalf of a Hindu man and a Muslim woman who were forced to flee to Delhi in 2022 following threats over their decision to marry. The couple approached the Bombay High Court in September 2023, seeking protection and safe housing. After nearly two years of court-monitored proceedings, the Maharashtra government submitted SOPs that satisfied the court, leading to the disposal of the petition. Mr. Desai expressed gratitude to the High Court, stating that the State's response would not have materialised without judicial intervention. 'On its own, the State government would not have acted - especially in a political environment where there is hostility towards inter-faith marriages, and a focus on so-called 'freedom of religion' laws that are effectively aimed at curbing conversions, rather than safeguarding individual autonomy,' he said. Systemic Patriarchy and Social Backlash Reflecting on the broader societal landscape, Mr. Desai said, 'Even today, inter-caste marriages are shunned. Just look at the matrimonial columns. There is fierce resistance to inter-faith marriages not just from families, but also from communal forces across all religions.' He noted that the threats and violence faced by such couples reflect deep-rooted patriarchal and regressive attitudes. 'The idea that an adult woman has the agency to choose her partner is still difficult for many to accept. That is how patriarchy operates in India,' he said. Need for Proactive State Intervention Mr. Desai also criticised the general reluctance of the State to proactively defend the individual's fundamental right to choose a life partner. 'The State needs to step in - even if it means confronting societal pressure - to uphold the rule of law and constitutional rights,' he said. The Shaktivahini judgment, delivered in the context of caste-based violence and khap panchayats in Haryana, recognised that inter-faith couples also face significant threats across the country. The guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in 2018 called for: (1) helplines to report threats and seek immediate assistance, (2) special cells for lodging complaints, and (3) safe houses for couples at risk of violence. This week, Maharashtra became one of the few States to formally implement all three components.
