Guwahati: In a late-night operation, a joint team of police and the Special Task Force (STF) detained Mahbubul Hoque, Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), from his residence in Guwahati’s Ghoramara.
The reasons behind his detention remain undisclosed, adding to the growing speculation surrounding the case.
Following the incident, Hoque’s wife was spotted at Panbazar Police Station, though neither she nor other family members have issued any statements regarding the matter.
Authorities have yet to provide official details on the charges or the nature of the investigation, keeping the public in anticipation of further developments.
The detention comes shortly after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made serious allegations against USTM and its leadership. CM Sarma accused the private university of widespread fraud, including the issuance of fake degrees and financial mismanagement. His remarks followed concerns over the recent termination of employees at the institution.
In a scathing attack, the Chief Minister labeled Hoque as the mastermind behind an alleged fraudulent system. “The head of USTM himself is a fraud. The entire system is fraudulent, and the institution has been issuing fake certificates to students,” Sarma stated. He further questioned the authenticity of Hoque’s own credentials, alleging that even his caste certificate was forged. “How can our intellectuals praise someone who holds a false OBC certificate?” he added.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns over the credibility of USTM’s academic operations, claiming that PhDs and other degrees were being sold without proper examinations or procedures. “PhDs are also sold there. There are no proper exams, no degrees—nothing,” Sarma alleged, casting doubt on the institution’s legitimacy.
Furthermore, he linked USTM’s financial troubles to the state government’s actions against foreign funding. “This financial crisis exists because we have blocked a significant amount of foreign funding,” he stated, suggesting that external financial sources had been cut off due to scrutiny from the authorities.
With Hoque’s detention and the Chief Minister’s allegations shaking the academic community, the case is expected to draw significant attention in the coming days as more details emerge.
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