In a decisive move that sent shockwaves through West Bengal’s academic circles, the Calcutta High Court has ordered the closure of all student union offices in colleges and universities across the state. The ruling comes in the aftermath of a harrowing case involving the alleged rape of a law student inside the student union room at South Calcutta Law College.
The directive, issued by a Division Bench comprising Justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De, makes it clear: no union office shall operate unless student body elections—dormant since 2017—are conducted. Until then, the doors are to remain shut.
Should there be any “urgent need” to use these rooms, the court mandated that institutions must seek prior permission from the university registrar, accompanied by legitimate justification.
The court’s stern stance arose from a public interest litigation filed by advocate Sayan Banerjee. His plea pointed to the grotesque misuse of campus spaces under the guise of student leadership—a leadership that, as the petition highlighted, hasn’t seen a democratic mandate in over seven years.
According to the plea, individuals like Monojit Mishra, the main accused in the assault case, had been exploiting the authority of the defunct student union—despite not being lawfully elected representatives.
The petition laid bare a troubling reality: former union members and unelected actors continue to hold sway over college premises, entering campuses and exercising control based on expired or non-existent mandates. The court found this unchecked presence not just irregular, but dangerous.
By snapping shut the student union rooms, the Calcutta High Court has sent a clear message—authority on campus must be earned, not inherited or hijacked.
