Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted bail to Sayan Lahiri, leader of the Paschim Banga Chhtra Samaj. Lahiri who reportedly organised the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ (March to state secretariat) on August 27 to protest the alleged rape-murder of the trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. He was detained the evening of protest for his active involvement in leading the rally, which, according to the police, escalated into violence. The unrest resulted in damage to both public and private property and assaults on police officers. 

According to PTI, Justice Amrita Sinha noted that Lahiri seems to be ‘absolutely insignificant character’ with no influence “in the massive cry for justice in the aftermath of the RG Kar incident.” She said that to maintain public trust in the justice system, he should be granted bail. Who exactly is this ‘insignificant character’ that Bengal police arrested and imprisoned? 

Who Is Sayan Lahiri 

Sayan Lahiri is a spokesperson for the West Bengal Student Society, an unregistered student group that claims to be non-political. They organized a press conference to promote the Nabanna march and urged as many people as possible to join. Lahiri stated that the rally was not affiliated with any major political party but was organized by a platform. 

Sayan Lahiri studied at Rabindra Mukta University and later attended the Regent Education and Research Foundation Group of Institutions. He has previously served as the principal of Pranabananda Vidya Mandir and has been a former Business Development Officer at EFEDRA Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd. Before that, he worked at Cipla. 

According to media reports, Sayan Lahiri is in an open relationship with a young woman named Devolina Roy. A search of their profiles on social media reveals several posts, including numerous romantic pictures of Devolina with Sayan. Additionally, their social media walls feature many videos and photos related to the protests following the Kolkata rape case.