Convicted Maoist leader Arnab Dam reached Burdwan University on Monday and took provisional admission as a PhD scholar in history after attending the counselling.

Dam, who had emerged as the topper in the interview, was the first to be enrolled as a scholar among eight candidates who appeared for the counselling on Monday.

He will visit the university again on July 19 to complete a few formalities, including the verification of his credentials.

“I have been assured by the correctional home authorities that there will be no issue regarding Arnab Dam’s security and protection on campus. Therefore, there was no problem with his admission,” said vice-chancellor Goutam Chandra.

The state government and the correctional home authorities arranged robust security on the university campus since Dam arrived on Monday afternoon. However, all armed security officers were in plainclothes on the campus.

“His admission process is almost complete. He will start attending classes after the verification of documents on July 19. He will participate in coursework physically like other PhD scholars,” said Syed Tanveer Nasreen, head of the history department at the university.

Dam, who arrived on the campus around 1.30pm, spent about two-and-a-half hours completing the counselling and admission process before returning to the Burdwan jail, where he had been transferred from the Hooghly correctional home on Sunday.

“I hope today marks the end of complications regarding my admission as a PhD scholar. I want to thank the correctional home authorities for their support in pursuing my higher studies and research. I thank everyone who made this possible,” Dam told reporters while leaving the history department of the university.

Despite Dam, who was known as Comrade Bikram aka Surya, ranking top in the interview among approximately 220 candidates earlier this month, the varsity postponed the counselling and admission process, questioning whether the jailed Maoist leader would be able to attend the mandatory six-month coursework physically.

The varsity authorities sent a letter to the Hooghly correctional home authorities seeking clarification regarding his PhD pursuit. The correctional home authorities clarified they had no issue with Dam attending the coursework in person.

However, VC Chandra said he had not yet received written communication from the correctional home authorities as of Monday afternoon.

“The correctional home authorities assured us that the written communication regarding our letter would arrive very soon,” he added.

Dam had been sentenced to life imprisonment earlier this year for playing a key role in a Maoist attack on the Silda Indian security forces camp in 2010.