http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120414/jsp/calcutta/story_15372051.jsp#.T4mOUbNa5vY

Outrage over arrest & insult

OUR BUREAU

Ambikesh Mahapatra's wife Jolly at Alipore court on Friday afternoon. (Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya) Colleagues, students and neighbours of Ambikesh Mahapatra are outraged at the "harassment and humiliation" meted out to the professor, whom they described as a "good teacher" and "bhadralok". "He is one of our teachers who is entirely focussed on teaching," said Subhas Bhattacharya, a senior professor of chemistry at Jadavpur University, about a colleague arrested for merely forwarding a cartoon involving Mamata, inspired by Sonar Kella dialogues. Mahapatra, in charge of the physical chemistry section, is also a favourite with students. "He is very friendly but would not hesitate to scold us if we erred," said a postgraduate chemistry student. Mahapatra had taught at Kalyani University and the RK Mission Vidyamandira in Belur before joining JU as a reader in 2001. Graffiti at Jadavpur University after news of Ambikesh Mahapatra's arrest reached the campus. (Amit Datta) The students as well as neighbours are aware of Mahapatra's Left-leaning ideology but could not recall his conduct being clouded by his political preferences. "He had once come to me to sell a publication brought out by a Left party. I refused because I do not believe in the party's ideology. We had a long argument but that did not sour our relations.... A gentleman like him should not have suffered this humiliation," said a neighbour at the New Garia Development Cooperative Housing Society. Mahapatra's wife Jolly, a reader in chemistry at Gurudas College, said: "There are over 450 houses in our cooperative society. My husband has never had a problem with any of the residents in the past 10 years we have been living here." The Mahapatras' two-storey house, Anukana, was locked since morning. Jolly dropped their younger daughter to school around 6.30am and went straight to Jadavpur East police station around 7.30am. The couple's elder daughter Anindita is a first-year student of chemistry honours at Presidency University and the younger, Ananya, is a Class IX student at South Point High School. Mahapatra had not informed his wife and daughters about his assault and arrest. Jolly came to know about it when officers of Jadavpur East police station called her up. As news of the arrest spread, friends, relatives and colleagues went to the court and waited anxiously for the professor's bail. At the court, Jolly was surrounded by colleagues and relatives. Once the bail was granted around 5pm, Jolly left for a relative's house where her daughters were waiting. Colleagues escorted Mahapatra to Jadavpur University, where teachers organised a silent protest march. At the New Garia housing society, neighbours were "relieved" to hear that the professor had been granted bail.