University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) chancellor, Mahbabul Haque, along with five teachers of the college, has been sent to 14 days judicial custody after a late-night hearing by the local court on Saturday. They were arrested on charges of promising students to allow unfair means in exams. A local court in Sribhumi district of Assam sent them to the judicial custody.
USTM chancellor was arrested on Saturday
The USTM chancellor, who also runs the ERD Foundation that operates various educational institutions, including a school in Patharkandi, was arrested from his Guwahati residence in the early hours on Saturday and taken to Sribhumi. The five teachers of the school were also arrested after allegations emerged on Friday that students from other districts were appearing for their Class-12 CBSE board exams there, following “assurance of use of unfair means for them to score high marks”.
“Police had sought seven days of custody for the accused. But, the court ruled that the accused be sent to judicial custody with the police to question them in jail if needed,” one of the advocates said.
CM Himanta Sarma on Haque's arrest
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, commenting on Haque’s arrest, had said he was aware of a “large network”, which promises students high marks through unfair means. He claimed that such fraud measures were not limited to CBSE-conducted exams, but taking place in medical entrance exams as well.
Sarma also alleged that Haque is a “big fraud, his entire background is fraud”. Haque was embroiled in a controversy last year, too, over his OBC certificate, which he had obtained "fraudulently" in Sribhumi district in the 1990s.
Sarma had said in August 2024 that a police case would be registered against the USTM chancellor for allegedly fraudulently obtaining the OBC certificate, which was subsequently cancelled. The chief minister had also held the USTM and Haque responsible for "flood jihad" against Guwahati, asserting that the water flowing down from the varsity campus, which is located on a hill adjacent to the city, leads to massive flooding.
(PTI inputs)