Alumnus Manojit ousted from law college TMC unit and home in 2021
Times of India | 28 June 2025
Kolkata: Manojit Mishra, the key accused in the law college rape case, has been estranged from his father, Robin Mishra, for nearly five years. Despite living just four houses apart in Kalighat, Robin, a priest, severed ties with Manojit due to his son's persistent involvement in politics rather than focusing on a legal career. Robin remains detached even during Manojit's legal troubles, emphasizing accountability if his son is guilty of any wrongdoing. "Let him fight his case. Let law take its course. The survivor is also someone's daughter. If he has done it, let him be held accountable for his deeds," said his father, a priest by profession. Manojit, once a promising student interested in law, became deeply involved in campus politics and was an active party member. Sources said Mishra took admission in 2007 and would have graduated in 2012, but he dropped out before that. He later took admission in 2017 to pursue a five-year BA LLB program. He was reportedly removed from the college's Trinamool unit leadership in 2021 for rowdyism but later returned as a contractual employee. An ex-student, who was his batchmate, said, "We had 120 seats and Manojit was the 121st candidate, which everyone on campus knew about, but he never faced any question due to his political connections. "His personal life has been tumultuous. He lived alone after his mother and sister left, and his grandmother passed away in 2023. Neighbours in Kalighat describe him as rowdy, often involved in fights and disturbances. "Manojit alias Papai was always a trouble-maker. He would get into fights and drunken brawls. He would get people over at his house and they would create a scene after a drinking binge. One of the co-accused shown on TV on Friday had created a commotion after he participated in one such drinking binge at the house a few days ago," a neighbour recalled. Another said Manojit had a girlfriend, a lawyer, who often visited his house.
Manojit's political journey has been marked by controversy. He was involved in vandalizing the principal's office in 2017, leading to the dissolution of the college's Trinamool unit. Sources said there was a power struggle between Manojit and two other leaders at that time. He regained influence as a Trinamool neta, despite the absence of an official unit. He maintained influence on campus, organizing events and wielding power among students and staff. His leadership style was divisive, with some accusing him of harassment and misconduct. Sources said there had been multiple allegations of molestation and harassment at both Gariahat PS and Kasba PS against him but no action had been taken. He graduated in 2022 and started practising at Alipore Court. But he joined as a contractual staff member at the college in 2023, and the governing body issued his appointment letter. Since then, he started regaining his power as a Trinamool neta on campus. Manojit's political aspirations faced setbacks when he was excluded from the party's south Kolkata district committee in 2022. Recently, he sought membership in TMCP Yuva, but TMCP south Kolkata president Sarthak Banerjee said he was not aware of any official TMCP unit at the law college.