Rupam Pathak

Patna, Jan. 7: Rupam Pathak, the woman who stabbed Purnea MLA Rajkishore Keshari to death alleging that he had raped her, was pursuing her PhD in Hindi literature from Patna University.

She, it seems, was a keen literature lover as the subject of her thesis was Hindi Ghazal Ka Safarnama: Bhartendu Haris Chandra Se Dushyant Kumar Tak.

Both Bhartendu Harish Chandra and Dushyant Kumar are referred to as the father of modern Hindi literature as their writing marked a transition from tradition to modernity.

Rupam completed her thesis under S.P. Yadav Snigdh, a professor at the postgraduate department of Hindi at the Patna University. She submitted the thesis at Patna University in November last year.

Snigdh told The Telegraph: “I do not want to talk about her personal life. We rarely met. But she was my student and has done her research paper under me.” The professor refused to talk any further on Rupam or her thesis.

Teachers at the Hindi department of the university found it difficult to recall Rupam Pathak among the students. PhD students hardly attend classes as it is not mandatory for them, the teachers said.

However, most of the teachers refused to buy the argument that the woman was controversial or a conspirator.

Rupam had enrolled for her PhD in Hindi literature on September 27, 2006. Her PhD proposal was sent to the university thereafter. In the month of October-November 2010, her thesis was complet and she had come to post-graduate department before the puja vacations to submit her paper.

Teachers of the department said only Rupam and the late MLA knew the truth. “The secret whether Rupam was right or wrong remains with Rupam and with Keshari, who is no more. But one thing is for sure, such an action would inspire other women to come out and take action against those who have exploited them,” a teacher of the department said. A senior teacher of the Hindi department, on condition of anonymity, said: “The thesis paper of Rupam shows that she had a great interest in music and art.”

THe teacher made the inference based on the choice of subjects she had taken up for her PhD. Both Bhartendu Haris Chandra and Dushyant Kumar were considered as gems of modern Hindi literature and most of the poems and writings composed by them reflected their interest in nature and love. Few of Bhartendu writings included Prem Malika, Prem Tarang, Prem Maduri, Prem Pralap, Varsha Vinod and others.

Rupam, who had enrolled as Rupam Kumari Mishra in Patna University, had done her BEd in 1996-97. After completing her BEd, she moved to Imphal where her husband lives. She completed her masters in Hindi from Manipur University in February 2004 and a year later in 2005 she cleared her pre-PhD test.

On January 4 this year, Rupam stabbed MLA Keshari in full public view and in the presence of the latter’s security guards. She alleged the MLA and his assistant of raping her.

Rupam had come in contact with Keshari when the latter inaugurated a private school started by Rupam in 2006. Rupam was the principal of the school.

Yesterday, a local journalist, Navlesh Pathak, was arrested on the suspicion of involvement in the murder of the MLA. Meanwhile, Rupam’s husband and her mother have jumped to her defence. Kumud Mishra, Rupam’s mother, appeared before the state human rights commission seeking justice.