All four accused in the Kolkata law college gang rape case — Manojit Mishra, Zaib Ahmed, Pramit Mukhopadhyay, and campus security guard Pinaki Banerjee — have been remanded to judicial custody until August 5 by the Alipore Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court.
They were produced before the court on Tuesday, July 22, as per a report by ANI.
During the hearing, Manojit Mishra’s lawyer, Raju Ganguly, raised concerns over the conditions of his client’s custody. He alleged that Mishra is being denied basic necessities such as proper food and water, and claimed that police officials are exerting pressure on him to confess to the crime.
"He is being forced to admit his crime in front of the magistrate,” Ganguly told reporters, stating that such coercion could compromise Mishra’s defense.
The lawyer further informed the court that 38 applications had been filed on behalf of his client. Among them was a request for two specific lawyers to be present during Mishra’s interrogation, which the court allowed. Other requests, including the provision of a mosquito net, blanket, and reading material, citing Mishra's rights under Article 21, were also accepted.
Another plea requested two to three hours of interaction between the legal team and Mishra during lock-up time. The court agreed to this as well.
"We submitted three applications today, none for bail," Ganguly clarified, adding, "We are cooperating with the prosecution. But during jail interrogation, he is being pressured to admit guilt."
However, Chief Prosecutor Sourin Ghoshal disputed this, stating that the defense did indeed file a bail petition.
"They filed three petitions. One requested permission for lawyers to interview the accused in jail, but that authority rests with the jailer under the West Bengal Correctional Homes Act. The second asked for facilities like a mosquito net, which we agreed should be considered by the jailer. And yes, a bail petition was also submitted. He has been sent to judicial custody and we aim to file the chargesheet soon," Ghoshal said.
The four men were arrested for the alleged gang rape of a 24-year-old law student on June 25 inside the law college in the Kasba area of Kolkata.
On July 10, the West Bengal government submitted a sealed progress report to the Calcutta High Court on the status of the investigation. The case diary, victim’s statement under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), and her medical reports were reviewed by a division bench comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das De.
The court directed that the progress report be shared with the victim’s advocate, while strictly prohibiting its wider disclosure without prior permission.
The victim’s family, through their counsel, expressed satisfaction with the investigation so far, led by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police. A separate report was also filed by the police explaining the alleged inaction by local officers when earlier threats against the survivor were made.
Alipore, where the court proceedings are taking place, falls within the Kasba area where the incident reportedly occurred.
