‘Monojit Dada is in our hearts’: Weeks after Kolkata law student gang-rape, college awaits purchase order to wipe off ‘Mango’ stain; graffiti remains | Kolkata News

KOLKATA: ‘Monojit Dada is in our hearts — team MM’, reads a wall graffiti in a prominent spot at the law college where a first-year student was raped. It may not have seemed this incongruous prior to June 25 when Monojit Mishra allegedly raped the student on campus and got it video-graphed by two members of team MM, but students who returned after the college reopened are questioning how the graffiti celebrating a “monster” continues to exist.Vice principal Nayna Chatterji said on Thursday that it will be removed soon. “It was written by students, not by teachers or staff. After it came to our notice, the matter was raised in finance committee and consultations were held with the purchase committee to remove it. But the incident took place before it could be removed. The graffiti bearing Mishra’s name will be erased soon,” she said.According to Chatterji, she had noticed the graffiti during Saraswati Puja on Feb 2. Students said the incident had happened only in June-end. “Why was the graffiti allowed to remain for nearly five months? How does an approval for one litre of paint required to wipe off the graffiti take so long?” some wondered. Chatterji said the college administration had to follow a process and obey the decisions of governing body. Sources said it was on the governing body’s recommendation that Mishra had been given a temporary appointment despite him being rusticated from the college when he was a student and had multiple criminal cases against him.TOI tried to get a reaction from governing body president Ashok Deb but he did not take the call. Sibranjan Chatterjee, a member, said, “Matters referred to general body were discussed in the meeting. But I cannot recall anything related to a graffiti being raised in any recent meeting that I attended. GB members went to college only for attending meetings; other than that, we cannot keep track of regular activities on campus unless the authorities inform us.“Chatterji reiterated on Thursday that those accused of rape should get the highest possible punishment.