Arpa Mondal, a 25-year-old student of Rabindra Bharati University (RBU), is set to take the university to court for ruining his studies. Mondal, a student of Fine Arts (Dance) Department, says he has been denied permission to write his fifth semester examination in December 2016 and denied re-admission in July 2017.

“Just after finishing my second year of college, I had a severe panic attack due to which I couldn’t attend classes for around two weeks at the beginning of the fifth semester. I went back to college in July 2016 and submitted medical certificate regarding my absence as per procedure,” Mondal told Newslaundry. However, as the semester examination approached, he was told he can’t write the exams because he didn’t have the minimum 75 per cent attendance.

“I appealed to the authorities to allow me to take the examination and wrote to the higher authorities regarding the same. By the time I heard back, the examination was over,” said Mondal. “I was asked to take readmission and told that I can continue my last year studies from 2017,” he added.

Mondal had no way but to wait for the next year. Meanwhile, he found out that his classmates had attendance similar to his and were allowed to appear for the exams.  That enraged and disappointed him at the same time. “I found that my attendance was above the minimum criteria. The students who had less attendance or zero were allowed to write the exams,” he charged.

Following his emails to the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar and the Dean of Fine Arts Department, the Head of Department Pushpita Mukherjee was issued a notice by the administration. “Instead of looking into the matter, she called me up and accused me of stealing register from the department,” Mondal said.

To prove his innocence, Mondal filed an RTI seeking the attendance document without realising that this act might invite more harassment. “Ever since I filed an RTI, there was continuous pressure on me from the HoD to withdraw it. Mukherjee threatened me saying if you don’t withdraw it, you will be rusticated,” said Mondal. “I went ahead with the RTI because I wanted the documents they had. However, the documents that I received through the RTI were altered. The students whose attendance was marked zero in the original register now had minimum required attendance,” said Mondal.

As it almost seemed like he lost the battle, Mondal filled forms for re-admission in July 2017. But Mukherjee refused to sign his admission form. “All the required signatures were there, except hers. She continued harassing me saying that I can’t now file an RTI for this issue as well,” said Mondal.

He also wrote to the Anti-Ragging Help Line of University Grants Commission on how he has been harassed by the professor. However, the UGC refrained from interfering in the matter saying that this (accusation) is against a professor and not a student, and therefore they can’t do anything.

Although Mondal went to the Sinthi police station on August 15 to lodge a complaint, the police refused to register it. However, his application was considered by the Deputy Commissioner of North Division, Kolkata Police and he directed the Sinthi police station to take action. When Mondal went back to Sinthi police station as per the instruction, he was told that the HoD is trying to file a cybercrime complaint against him. He never heard back about the investigation thereafter.

Newslaundry contacted the Sub Inspector T K Das, who is the in-charge of the Sinthi police station. Das said he had no clue about the August 15 incident. “I can’t recall this particular incident as the persons on duty keep changing,” Das told Newslaundry.

Mondal claimed that he began getting threats that he would be beaten up and thrown out of the university. “Mukherjee, who is also a member of BJP, threatened me saying, ‘let me come to the power, I will tell you then,’” he said.

On November 8, Mondal was beaten up inside the campus by college staff. He said he had already been suffering neurological ailments and now was beaten up on his head. “My condition has gone worse since that incident. A group of 15-16 staff members including administrative and non-administrative staff assaulted me inside the campus. The local police station initially refused to file an FIR but because of the witnesses accompanying me, they finally lodged it under unknown offence.”

When asked about the aforementioned FIR, Das initially said that there is no such FIR. When the reporter gave him the FIR number and IPC sections under which the case was filed, Das let us know the investigation officer’s name. “The case has been investigated by D Majumdar and he will be available on the phone after 9 pm,” said Das. “We asked him to give us the names of the assaulters so that it will help us, but he did not. Now that we don’t know anything about them, it will take time,” said Majumdar. “We are also going and talking to the guards and security but cannot share any more details,” Mujumdar told Newslaundry. 

Newslaundry also reached out to the HoD, who refused to talk in detail. “He is absolutely lying and the documents with him are false. He has lost the case in the RTI and it has been dismissed by the court,” Mukherjee told Newslaundry. When asked about not signing the his admission form, Mukherjee said, “ HoD can do nothing when it comes to the re-admission of any student. It is the job of the administration.” When asked about the attack on the student inside the campus, she added, “I am not at all aware of the incident as I was not present that day when the incident took place. In addition, he is not a bonafide student of my department and I am not the spokesperson for the college to talk to the press.”

It has been a month since the FIR has been lodged but no action seems to have been taken. Despite having an Anti-Ragging cell and Students Grievance Cell, Mondal is now planning to move the high court for justice.

Multiple calls to the university dean Debashis Mondal went unanswered. An email to Vice-Chancellor Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury also didn’t get any response.