South Kolkata rape campus falls off booth map, CAPF moves in

KOLKATA: For the first time since the rape incident on a law college campus in south Kolkata last June, polling booths that used to be located on its premises have been shifted to a nearby school. Instead, the college has been turned into a base for CAPF personnel. The college ground floor where the crime took place continues to remain cordoned off.

In previous elections, polling booths for parts 131, 132 and 135 under the Kasba assembly constituency used to be set up on the college premises. This year, however, the booths have been shifted to a nearby private school. College officials said the change was necessary as key rooms on the ground floor remain sealed and inaccessible as court proceedings in the case are underway.

A college official said the institution no longer had sufficient usable space on the ground floor to conduct polling. Two rooms that were earlier used as booths were blocked as part of the ongoing investigation. As a result, the polling arrangements for the three parts were shifted elsewhere because of the restrictions in place on campus.

The college campus is now being used to accommodate central forces deployed for election duty.

According to vice-principal Nayna Chatterji, the institute will stay closed until the election gets over. Classes have been shifted online.

"Movement on the premises has been restricted until it is handed back to us. Most of the floors are being used by the central forces and no one is permitted to enter the campus without a proper identity card. We informed the court that they are staying on the campus and that some temporary toilets have been set up on the ground floor. The restricted areas are still cordoned off, and they have been instructed to avoid those areas," Chatterji said.

The rape incident took place on the evening of June 25, 2025, inside a guard's room adjacent to the boys' common room, which was also considered the student union office. Forensic experts sealed the crime scene for further probe. A complaint was filed at Kasba PS. Since then, the case was under consideration at Calcutta High Court. Based on inputs from the local police station, the Election Commission made this change for the ensuing polls.


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