Jamia allows blast accused to appear for exams

NEW DELHI: Jamia Milia Islamia University, which was quick to spring to the defence of its student Zia-ur-rehman accused in the 2008 Delhi serial blasts but had struck his name off the rolls, has once again changed its stand.
In a recent "unanimous" decision taken by the disciplinary committee, the university has now allowed Zia-ur-Rehman, a suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, to "appear in the final-year examinations" of the BA degree course which he was pursuing before his arrest.The decision came after the Delhi High Court directed the university in April 2009 to decide on Rehman's pending appeal before the committee to take the examination. Rehman had approached the HC seeking direction to the university to permit him to appear in the exams and challenged his supension. His name was struck off the rolls and a campus ban was imposed on him "so that peaceful environment of the university prevails" on September 22, 2008, three days before the university took the stand to provide free legal aid to him.
In a petition filed through counsel M S Khan, Zia-ur-Rehman alleged that the university cancelled his admission without any notice and gave him and his family the impression that he would not be barred from appearing for the final year exams.
Zia-ur-Rehman was arrested by the special cell on September 21, 2008, for allegedly carrying out serial blasts in the captial on September 13. Soon after his arrest, the University's vice- chancellor came out in full support of Rehman and another student, Mohammad Shakeel, claiming that the institution will provide free legal aid. The VC's decision was confirmed and upheld by the Academic Council of the Respondent University in the meetings held on September 25.
smriti.singh@timesgroup.com