₹1 crore cash, AC bedrooms, revolver and condoms found in Kolkata college: Just the tip of the iceberg?

One of Kolkata’s oldest and most prestigious educational institutions, Surendranath College, has been thrust into the middle of a major controversy after the discovery of large amounts of cash, alleged luxury facilities, liquor bottles, condom packets and a firearm inside its campus.

The row began when college authorities opened the students’ union room, which had remained locked for nearly a year following a Calcutta High Court directive that ordered the closure of union rooms in colleges where student elections had not been held since 2019. The order came in the aftermath of the alleged gang rape of a student inside a college union room in 2025.

The room at Surendranath College was reopened after the BJP government in West Bengal directed educational institutions to audit expenditure from students’ union funds. During a cleaning drive on Tuesday, college authorities stumbled upon two large boxes containing cash stored inside an old wooden cupboard.

Bundles of ₹100 and ₹500 notes were found stacked inside the boxes. A significant portion of the money had reportedly been damaged by termites, indicating that it had remained hidden for a long period. The total amount recovered is estimated to be around ₹1 crore.

The discovery triggered a broader search of the campus, leading to a series of startling findings. Two air-conditioned bedrooms with attached bathrooms, beds, mattresses and other furnishings were found within the college premises. College authorities alleged that the rooms were used by local Trinamool Congress strongman Debashis Bandyopadhyay, popularly known as “Kankata Debu”, and his son Shibashis. They also claimed that staff members were allegedly forced to provide personal services to the duo.

Debashis Bandyopadhyay has denied the allegations and said he was unaware of the existence of the rooms.

The controversy deepened further after liquor bottles were allegedly found on the rooftop, while packets of condoms were recovered from the students’ common room. A revolver wrapped in a black packet was also discovered inside the union room. Police later seized the firearm and began an investigation.

The revelations have sparked a fierce political battle, with the BJP accusing the Trinamool Congress and its student wing of turning educational institutions into centres of corruption and patronage.

BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh demanded an Enforcement Directorate probe into the source of the cash, alleging that the money may have been generated through an admission racket. According to the BJP, students were allegedly charged substantial sums in exchange for admission to the college, with the proceeds routed through student leaders.

The Trinamool Congress has not officially responded to the allegations.

The incident has also revived long-standing concerns about the functioning of student politics in West Bengal’s colleges. Allegations of student leaders collecting money for admissions, festivals and campus activities have surfaced repeatedly over the years. Critics argue that despite the absence of formal student union elections since 2019, political control over many campuses continued through informal networks of former student leaders.

College staff members have alleged that the union room operated like a private power centre and that teachers and employees who resisted its influence faced intimidation. They further claimed that deserving and economically weaker students were often disadvantaged while admissions allegedly favoured those willing to pay.

While investigations into the Surendranath College discoveries are still underway, the episode has intensified scrutiny of student union finances and governance across educational institutions in West Bengal. With the state government ordering audits of union funds, political observers believe more irregularities could come to light in the coming weeks.