Jailed Maoist leader gets PhD admission at West Bengal's Burdwan University

KOLKATA: Jailed Maoist leader Arnab Dam, who stood first in the PhD admission test in West Bengal’s Burdwan University, was brought to the campus on Monday and admitted to the course, an official said. Dam is serving life sentence for his role in the 2010 attack on an Eastern Frontier Rifles camp at Sildah in Jhargram district. Altogether 24 people were killed in the attack.

“Counselling for the History PhD started today. Arnab Dam was present during the counselling session and also took admission for PhD,” Burdwan University Interim Vice-Chancellor Goutam Chandra said. "There was adequate security cover during his presence at the campus. So I think that issue has been addressed," Chandra told PTI.

The interim VC had earlier sent a mail to the correctional home authorities making queries on the type of security to be provided to him inside classrooms and on campus. Dam would have to attend classes for two-three days a week, Chandra said. "We have shifted him (Dam) from Hooghly to Burdwan Correctional Home. He can visit the university campus for academic purposes under security cover," Correctional Administration Minister Akhil Giri told PTI on Sunday.

While the university started the process of admission of PhD researchers in other streams last week, the same for History was delayed apparently because of some administrative issues related to enrolling a jailed individual. The university authorities in a notification on Sunday stated that counselling for PhD in History will be held on July 15.

"I am happy and thankful to the university and state administration for paving the way for my PhD in the university," he told reporters. Dam, an accused in several other cases, had secured over 75 per cent marks in the PhD admission test in History held at the Burdwan University campus on June 26 under strict security. He is an alleged close associate of Maoist leader Kishanji who was killed in an encounter in 2011 and is accused in several attack and murder cases in Jangal Mahal belt of south Bengal till 2010. He was arrested in 2012. Asked about reports that the Maoist leader has been granted parole for pursuing the PhD, a top government source said it is not true.