IIM-Calcutta ‘rape’ victim skips trial to get her statements recorded

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Kolkata, July 14 (IANS) The woman, becoming the victim of ‘rape’ within the campus of the Indian Institute of Management- Calcutta (IIM-C) at Joka on the outskirts of South Kolkata last Friday evening, did not turn up at the trial court here on Monday to get her statements recorded in front of a judicial magistrate.

However, no reason surfaced why she ultimately did not appear at the trial court to get her statements recorded.

On Monday, after the victim did not turn up at the trial court to get her statements recorded, the counsel of the accused argued that it was the duty of the police to ensure the presence of the victim at the court. Thereafter, the judge of the trial court sought a report from the police on the matter.

Her absence at the trial court on Monday added to the already existing confusion and contradictory factors in the case that the investigating officials in the matter are trying to resolve.

The most important is the confusion arising from the contradictory statements given by the victim and her father.

On the one hand, the victim, in her statement, claimed that the accused called her to the boys’ hostel within the campus on Friday evening for counselling, and offered her pizza and cold drinks laced with sedatives. The victim claimed that after consuming the pizza, she fell unconscious. Thereafter, as per her statement to the police, the accused Parmanand raped her in the hostel while she was unconscious.

On the contrary, the victim’s father had told media persons that nothing of that sort happened with her daughter, and she became unconscious as she tumbled while alighting from a vehicle. The victim’s father stuck to his statement even as a trial court on Saturday remanded the accused to police custody till July 19.

In his argument, the public prosecutor stressed the necessity to verify the statement given by the victim’s father, contradicting his daughter’s claims. He also said that there should be clarity on why the victim’s father was contradicting her daughter on such a crucial issue.

–IANS

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The Madhya Pradesh High Court had already issued directives in this regard earlier.

“The process began from evening on Monday,” a senior officer in the MP Pollution Control Board told IANS, adding, “The incineration is proceeding at a steady rate of 270 kilograms per hour at the facility, with environmental safeguards firmly in place.

A continuous online monitoring system has been installed to track emissions, ensuring compliance with pollution control regulations. The total process will take 50-55 days or even a few more days.”

The toxic waste is being disposed of at a private facility.

To further mitigate environmental risks, experts are closely observing four key pollutants – particulate mercury, heavy matter, hydrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide – emitted during the burning process.

“Additionally, air quality monitoring stations have been deployed at three locations across Pithampur (near Indore). Alongside the existing station in Tarpura, new sites in Chirakhan and Bajrangpura were operationalised on May 4 to reinforce oversight.

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The toxic waste has been lying in the factory since then.

“Four monitoring systems have been installed,” the officer said.

The toxic waste, which had remained abandoned at the former Union Carbide facility for nearly 40 years, was finally transported to Pithampur from Bhopal in January 2025. In compliance with judicial directives, a phased trial run was conducted before full-scale disposal began, marking a significant step in the decades-long struggle to address industrial contamination.

After a trial incineration, the Madhya Pradesh government submitted a status report to the High Court in Jabalpur, detailing the successful completion. And the officials had told the court that the incineration process-expected to last 72 days-would proceed under strict guidelines set forth by the Central Pollution Control Board to prevent any harm to the public.

Despite these assurances, activists advocating for Bhopal gas tragedy survivors had raised concerns over secondary pollution. They argue that burning 300 metric tonnes of toxic waste could result in nearly 900 metric tonnes of residue, potentially exacerbating environmental hazards if dumped in a landfill. With the next court hearing scheduled for June 30, discussions on the long-term ecological impact of the waste disposal continue.

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WBSSC job case: Notification for recruitment issued, only for teaching staff

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Last month, a division bench of the Supreme Court, while cancelling 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs in state-run schools, directed the West Bengal government to start the process of fresh recruitment for both teaching and non-teaching categories by May 31.

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Female artist sexually exploited and blackmailed, K’taka Police file case

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The FIR has been registered against Madenuru Manu, a resident of Nagarabhavi in Bengaluru.

The 33-year-old victim filed the complaint at the Annapurneshwari Nagar Police Station. The accused is said to have been selected as the lead actor in an upcoming Kannada movie, and police are currently investigating the matter.

The FIR has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 64(2) (rape), Section 69 (sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means), Section 89 (causing miscarriage without the woman’s consent), Section 318(4) (cheating), Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and Section 352 (intentional insult).

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