The governing body of the law college in Kolkata, where a student was allegedly gang-raped last month, has announced a major overhaul of its campus security, including the deployment of retired Army personnel in place of private security guards, a college official said on Saturday.
The governing body of South Calcutta Law College took the decision during a meeting earlier this week amid growing outrage over the incident that sparked nationwide condemnation.
“The existing private guards will be replaced by retired Army personnel to ensure foolproof campus security,” the official said on condition of anonymity as she was not authorised to speak to the media. The college also plans to increase the number of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on campus and strengthen its Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which handles issues related to sexual harassment and student grievances.
The security overhaul follows the alleged gang-rape of a female student inside the college premises last month. Monojit Mishra, a former student and contractual staff member, has been named the prime accused. He was also a known leader of the ruling Trinamul Congress’s student wing. Mishra was arrested along with two current students and a private security guard. All four are in judicial custody, and police say further investigation is underway. The incident has triggered protests by student groups and rights activists who have demanded better campus safety and accountability from college authorities.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered a fast-track investigation and assured strict action against the culprits. Located in the southern part of Kolkata, South Calcutta Law College is affiliated with Calcutta University and has over 1,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes.