RG Kar and Law College Incidents: Kolkata’s Struggle with Women’s Safety

The capital of West Bengal Kolkata has experienced the events at two of its major educational institutes namely RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and a south Kolkata Law College and this has given the issue of the safety of women in the academic institutions a new frame of reference. The incidences have led to law suits, popular uprisings and the re-evaluation of current safety guidelines and laws.

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The R G Kar Medical College and Hospital Incident

A postgraduate trainee doctor, who was enrolled in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital died in the campus premises on August 9, 2024, being 31 years old. It was found that her semi-nude body was found on the 3 rd floor of the seminar hall. According to first autopsy results, it was revealed that the victim was first raped and then killed. A case was recorded by the police at Tala Police Station. Signs of struggle were noticed in the forensic investigation of the crime scene.

Itinerary of Major Developments:

• On August 9, 2024, the event took place, and the corpse of the victim was found.
• August 10, 2024: Civic volunteer Sanjay Roy was caught by the Kolkata Police as a suspect over the case. The crime was then charged on Roy.
• August 12, 2024: Sandip Ghosh, the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital resigned against the heated protest by junior doctors. The West Bengal government later on transferred him to Calcutta national medical college and hospital.
• August 13, 2024: Based on petitions filed by parents of the victim and on public interest litigations, Calcutta High Court instructed the case to be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) due to perceived incompetency in local police. The High Court has also ordered Sandip Ghosh to take a long leave.
• Sanjay Roy was delivered back by Kolkata Police to the CBI on official grounds on August 14, 2024. Nationwide “Reclaim the Night” actions occurred, which were related to justice and improvement of the women safety. Violence erupted in RG Kar Medical College after demonstrations against removal of anarchy from the hospital premises.
• August 17, 2024: Indian Medical Association (IMA) demanded 24-hour halt in health services in the nation in support of the victim.
• August 20, 2024: Supreme Court of India (suo motu) cognized on the case. A panel of three judges rebuked West Bengal government, Kolkata police and the administration of the hospital because of a delay on the First Information Report (FIR). The court also decided to constitute a 10 member National Task Force to develop protocol in the safety and security of health care professionals and directed the issue of CISF to the hospital.
• August 27, 2024: A student march proceeded towards the state secretariat, Nabanna where it demanded that the Chief Minister stepped down. Some injuries came through the fights with the police.
• September 02, 2024: CBI sent Sandip Ghosh to jail after he was arrested on the charges of financial fraud at RG Kar Hospital during his tenure. There was also an arrest of Abhijit Mondal, officer in charge of Tala police station by the CBI in the same case, citing delays in the registration of FIR and destruction of evidence.
• October 7, 2024: Sanjay Roy charged with a chargesheet in Sealdah court by the CBI. The chargesheet added that Roy had allegedly perpetrated the crime on August 9 when the doctor was resting in the seminar room.
• January 18, 2025: Sanjay Roy was found guilty of rape and punishable with death under Sections 64, 66 and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) by a Sealdah court.
• January 20, 2025: The Sealdah court handed out a life imprisonment till death to Sanjay Roy and issued a compensatory award of Rs 17 lakh to the victim family by the state of India.

The incident in the South Kolkata Law College

In late June 2025, A 24-year-law student reported what was claimed to be gang rape on the campus of a Law College in South Kolkata. It is said that the incident happened between 7.30 p.m. and 10:50 p.m within the college compound.

Information about Allegation and Investigation:

• According to the complaint that was filed by the student, she said that she was forcibly taken to the room of the security guard by three men, two of whom where students (including a former student leader, Manojit Mishra) and one of whom is a student, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay, and she was assaulted there.
• The allegations were that the abusers undressed and raped her and later video-taped the rape and threatened to send the recordings in case she complained about the crime. She also claimed that when she resisted she was clubbed over the head with a hockey stick and not allowed out of the illegal detention over three hours where she asked to be taken to see a doctor over a panic attack and this was also refused.
• Kolkata Police also filed investigation on the claim of the student.
• June 26-27, 2025: Manojit Mishra, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay were arrested by the police.
• June 28, 2025: Pinaki Banerjee, the security guard of the college has been arrested over his perceived failure to act on the incident. Video clips of more than 7 hours on June 25 by CCTV recorded the process of forcing the victim into the room of the guard and demonstrated the activities of the accused and the victim. According to the police, the video justified the claims by the victim.
• Vital evidences were retrieved, which was comprised of hair strands, bottles with liquids whose identities were not identified, and a hockey stick, which was found in the students union room, a washroom, and the guard room. Struggle signs could be seen in these places. One of the accused had a 1.5-minute video clip of the assault on his mobile phone and this was submitted to forensic examination.
• The arrested were presented in the Alipore court and remanded in custody of the police to make further investigation.
• The National Commission for Women (NCW) had also suo motu cognizance of the case and sought time bound investigation in the light of pertinent provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
• When the case occurred, the Kolkata Police established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate it. The victim was brought to the college to reconstruct the crime scene, video graphic of which was done.

Legislation on Women Safety in Learning Institutions in India

The safety of women in India has a legislation with provisions covering the education institutions.

• The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 ( POSH Act): This Act also defines the meaning of workplace and educational institutions fall in that definition, so the provisions of this act are applicable on the issue of sexual harassment of women in a place of learning. It requires organizations that hire a minimum of ten persons, including educational establishments to form an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). ICC has the mandate of taking and redressing complaints concerning sexual harassment.
• University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) regulations, 2015 (UGC Regulations): These regulations are specific with reference to sexual harassment in higher educational institutions. They also require them to issue a zero-tolerance policy, establish an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to address complaints against the employees and students (having no gender-based distinctions), and broadcast information about sexual harassment policies and remedies to the general population. The educational institutions are compelled to take timely measures against gender-based violence, take sexual harassment as a misconduct in their educational system and run awareness programs.
• All India Council for Technical Education (Gender Sensitization, Prevention and Prohibition of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students and Redressal of Grievances in Technical Institutions) Regulations, 2016 (AICTE Regulations): They are parallel to UGC Regulations but subject to AICTE-authorised technical institutions.
• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) / Indian penal code (IPC): There are laws in India towards the criminality of rape, assault, criminal intimidation, outraging the modesty of a woman and so on which causes them to be prosecuted and punished. The penal code replaced by the BNS, itself provoked by the IPC, provided harsher punishment of sexual offences.
• Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) / Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS): It gives the procedural elements of investigation, arrest, trial and others of criminal justice.

Manifold Pursuants of Attacks at Schools

Cases of assault in learning institutions have dire consequences that define victims, schools, and society, at large.

Domain: The physical and psychological trauma such as anxiousness, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder that impacts the academic performance and well-being of the victims.

In case of Institutions: Reputation-damage, lowered trust in institutions, and students and parents, possible legal actions, and trailing down of any academic processes. Non-observation of guidelines like the UGC or AICTE Regulations may result to penalties which may be in the form of withdrawal of affiliation or university status.

Societal: These incidences create criticism around the system in terms of female safety and create an atmosphere of fear in which some females might be discouraged to continue education or a particular career.

Other and Government Initiatives of Women Safety Govt

Indian government has already put up several measures to promote the safety of women in society, some of them are applicable in institutions of education as well:

• Nirbhaya fund: This fund is established to fund the safety of women projects all over the country, which will benefit projects such as One Stop Centres (OSCs), Women Helplines (181), and Safe City Projects.
• One Stop Centres (OSCs): Offer comprehensive services to women who are victims of violence including medical helper, legal assistance, and psychological counseling as well as temporary shelters.
• Emergency Response Support System (ERSS – 112): A nationwide emergency number in the case of any kind of emergency, including women security related emergency.
• Safe City project: The project is approved to be in eight cities including Kolkata to help provide a safe and empowering environment to the women in public, which aims at changing their attitude towards the women in the public places.
• Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) and National Database of Sexual Offenders: Internetage applications in order to trace investigations and find recurring offenders.
• Project Stree Manoraksha: It intends to improve the trauma-informed mental health provisions within OSCs.
• NGOs and Civil Society: Other organizations such as Swayam in Kolkata are on a mission in making progress to women rights, in preventing abuse against women and girls by offering relevant support, enlightenment, and changing policies.

The case study of RG Kar medical college and the south Kolkata law college highlight the fact that extreme precaution towards comprehensive safety of women in educational institutes is still not on and vigilance, proper enforcement of laws and a general change in the societal thinking which will be more accountable and respectful is due.