Bilakshan Ravidas, senior postgraduate history teacher at Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University who was detained by police on Sunday along with colleague Kapil Dev Mandal for alleged Maoist links, on Monday accused the police of high-handedness.

Ravidas, who is the university proctor, head of the postgraduate Ambedkar Thought department and the warden of welfare hostel No. 2 in the varsity, attended office on Monday.

"I am clueless as to how police arrived at the conclusion that I am a Maoist," he told the media in his chamber on Monday. "I have no connection with them at all. Second, I don't know the arrested youth (Ghanshyam Das of Amarpur in Banka) but police claimed that I have connection with him. One can easily scan the detailed call record of my mobile number for the past five years. I am ready to cooperate with every investigating agency. Police should refrain from resorting to cheap antics such as raiding my residence."

Asked about his future course of action, Ravidas indicated that he would consider filing a defamation case against the police but only after discussing the issue with vice-chancellor Ramashanker Dubey, who is not in Bhagalpur.

"It's really worrying that the police didn't bother to inform university officials concerned before taking such action against me," he said.

The two teachers were kept in custody at the university police station from 12.30pm to around 8pm and were let go after they signed on personal release bonds.

They were picked up after Ghanshyam claimed that Ravidas supplied him Maoist literature and pocket calendars for distribution in rural areas.

Bhagalpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vivek Kumar had claimed that the duo had been picked up only for interrogation. "On the basis of Ghanshyam Das's confessional statement - that he had close links with Ravidas and Mandal - we picked them for interrogation. But since we did not found any substantial evidence against the duo, we set them free on personal release bonds," he said. When asked why the police didn't inform any varsity officer before taking Ravidas in custody, the SSP remained tight-lipped.

"We have enough proof against the teachers and only after corroborating those, we would take appropriate steps," said a senior officer preferring anonymity.

He added that Bhagalpur police had sought help of their Banka counterparts in the case. The university campus remained tensed on Monday.

Gunbattle

An encounter took place between security personnel and Maoists in Lahuri-Pachrukhia in Aurangabad on Monday. But there was no report of any injury or death till late evening.