Three-Point Summary
- West Bengal Bar Council has revoked Manojit Mishra’s legal license after he was named prime accused in the South Kolkata Law College rape case.
- The expulsion follows growing outrage and institutional fallout, including SIT investigation and college disciplinary action.
- Mishra’s association with the ruling party’s student wing (TMCP) has added political heat to the case, prompting legal and academic institutions to take decisive action.
Institutional Accountability in a Shattered System
The case that rocked South Kolkata Law College has now sent tremors through Bengal’s legal fraternity. After days of mounting pressure, public protest, and media scrutiny, the West Bengal Bar Council has taken a decisive step—revoking the legal license of Manojit Mishra, the man accused of raping a fellow student. This move comes amid multiple cascading consequences: arrests, expulsions, and an intensifying police probe. But beyond its legal contours, the case lays bare the systemic rot that enabled such abuse of power to flourish in both academic and legal corridors.
This editorial tracks the fallout—how the Bar Council was compelled to act, why the ruling party is under scrutiny, and what this means for accountability in Bengal’s educational and legal institutions. It also examines the deeper cultural reckoning underway, especially as other survivors come forward and the state’s response becomes a litmus test for institutional reform.
कोलकाता गैंगरेप केस: आरोपी मनोजीत मिश्रा का वकालत लाइसेंस रद्द
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) July 3, 2025
◆ पश्चिम बंगाल बार काउंसिल ने सदस्यों की सूची से उसका नाम हटाने का फैसला किया
◆ अब मिश्रा राज्य के किसी भी कोर्ट में वकालत नहीं कर पाएगा #KolkataGangrapeCase #Kolkata | Manojeet Mishra pic.twitter.com/fOlP2guqep
Bar Council Acts After Week-Long Delay
- West Bengal Bar Council removed Manojit Mishra’s name from the official roll of advocates.
- The decision followed a formal complaint and a council meeting on July 2, 2025.
- The Council’s action effectively bars Mishra from representing clients in any court in the state.
- Notification of the decision has been sent to the Bar Council of India.
Seven days after a formal complaint reached its chambers, the West Bengal Bar Council held a critical meeting on July 2 that resulted in an unequivocal decision: Manojit Mishra would no longer practice law. His name was struck from the official list of practicing lawyers, closing the door on any courtroom appearances across Bengal.
This move, while administrative in nature, carries significant symbolic weight. It represents the first major institutional act beyond police action, setting a precedent for how legal bodies should respond to members facing serious criminal allegations—especially those that intersect with gender-based violence and misuse of authority within educational setups.
Until his disbarment, Mishra had been practicing at Alipore Court, and his proximity to political power had cast a shadow over the pace and impartiality of proceedings. But this revocation, albeit delayed, signals that professional misconduct tied to criminal allegations—particularly of such gravity—can no longer be ignored.
From Law Student Leader to Prime Accused
- Mishra was allegedly a key figure in the TMCP student wing of the ruling Trinamool Congress.
- He is one of four arrested in the South Kolkata Law College rape case.
- Another female student has come forward alleging previous molestation by Mishra.
- The case has now been handed over to the Detective Department with SIT oversight.
The alleged crime did not occur in isolation—it was reportedly enabled by a power structure rooted in political and academic dominance. Mishra, once a student leader aligned with the TMCP (Trinamool Congress’s student wing), had cultivated influence in both the college and the courtroom. This intersection of law, politics, and academia raises uncomfortable questions about institutional blindness—or worse, complicity.
He is now one of four individuals arrested by Kolkata Police. The charges against him include sexual assault of a fellow student, an incident that came to light after the victim bravely approached authorities despite threats and pressure. Since then, another student has accused Mishra of molestation, hinting that the incident was not an aberration but part of a pattern of abuse.
The probe, led by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) with backing from the Intelligence Bureau, is uncovering a complex network of cover-ups and delayed responses. The Detective Department has taken over the investigation, and more revelations are expected as digital evidence, CCTV footage, and witness testimonies are compiled.
Academic and Public Fallout Escalates
- South Kolkata Law College Governing Body expelled Mishra and two other students.
- Public protests and media pressure forced swift disciplinary and legal action.
- Activists and student groups demand broader inquiry into TMCP’s role on campus.
- The case has drawn comparisons to previous instances of politically shielded misconduct in Bengal colleges.
The response from South Kolkata Law College, initially cautious, grew urgent as the public outcry intensified. The college’s Governing Body moved swiftly this week to expel Mishra from his temporary post, as well as expel two other students allegedly linked to the crime. While this may seem like an expected step, it marks a rare alignment of academic, legal, and public consensus—one that has been elusive in past controversies involving politically linked student leaders.
Protests have erupted outside the college gates, with students and civil society organisations demanding accountability not just from the accused, but from the larger student political apparatus that allegedly enabled this culture of fear. Many are calling for a probe into the operations of the TMCP on campus, alleging that the organisation functions more like a coercive force than a student body.
This scandal echoes past incidents in Bengal’s higher education sector, where student wings linked to ruling parties were implicated in violent or coercive acts, only to be shielded by institutional silence. But the confluence of media pressure, digital evidence, and victim testimony in this case seems to be shifting that script.
A Legal System Under Scrutiny, A State at Crossroads
The disbarment of Manojit Mishra is not just a disciplinary act—it is a reckoning. It’s a sign that the immunity once afforded to politically connected students and legal professionals is slowly eroding. But it also raises hard questions about how such immunity was allowed to fester for so long.
From the college’s role in delaying disciplinary action to the Bar Council’s week-long inaction, every delay reflects a system still reluctant to move unless publicly pressured. Yet, with mounting calls for reform, this case could catalyze a deeper cleansing of Bengal’s academic and legal institutions—if the momentum isn’t squandered.
What remains to be seen is whether the state will follow through with systemic reform, or whether this too will fade into Bengal’s long list of institutional betrayals. For now, the Bar Council’s decision stands as a rare example of accountability in a system better known for its denials.
