Kolkata, 23 July (H.S.):

Manojit Mishra, the prime accused in the Kasba Law College gangrape case, now faces two additional criminal cases, taking the total number of cases registered against him to 12, including charges of assault, molestation, and violent conduct. Mishra was arrested on Tuesday in connection with these latest cases, police officials confirmed.

A senior officer involved in the investigation revealed that police are now preparing to conduct a gait pattern test to help establish Mishra’s identity and potential involvement through comparison with CCTV footage from South Kolkata Law College. The footage will be analyzed to match the walking and movement patterns of individuals captured on camera with those of the accused.

According to Special Public Prosecutor Vibhas Chattopadhyay, had authorities acted on the earlier cases filed since 2023, the horrific incident at the law college could possibly have been prevented. “Despite multiple serious allegations, there was a lack of timely action,” he said. The court has also reportedly questioned the delay in taking action despite the high number of pending cases against Mishra.

The two newly disclosed cases date back to 2023 and 2024, involving separate incidents of assault, molestation, and violent clashes. Police have already submitted charge sheets in both cases, following which the court granted Mishra bail. His legal counsel, Raju Gangopadhyay, claimed that his client is a victim of political conspiracy.

As part of the current investigation, police are employing forensic gait analysis to positively identify the accused individuals seen in the CCTV footage. The test is scheduled to be conducted on Wednesday and is considered a crucial piece of evidence in corroborating the presence of Mishra and others at the crime scene.

Meanwhile, police sources noted that Mishra, along with two other students from the college — Jayed Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay — have not been cooperating with investigators. Authorities are now reportedly reviewing previous complaints and reopening old cases to build a more comprehensive criminal profile of Mishra.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh