Guwahati: University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) Chancellor Mahbubul Hoque has been remanded to judicial custody by the Sonitpur Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Tezpur following his arrest by district police on March 14. The court directed that Hoque be produced before it again on March 18.
Hoque was arrested on allegations of promising students the use of unfair means in exams. His lawyer had filed a bail petition, but the court did not take it up during the day’s proceedings. The case has drawn significant attention, especially after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly criticized Hoque, calling him a “big fraud” and alleging that his entire background was fraudulent.
The Gauhati High Court had earlier granted Hoque bail in two cases registered in Sribhumi district, while restraining his arrest in three other cases in Gossaigaon, Kokrajhar, and Barpeta. However, Sonitpur police arrested him in connection with another case in their jurisdiction.
Hoque, along with five teachers from a school in Patharkandi, was first arrested on February 22 from Guwahati and sent to 14 days’ judicial custody. The teachers were accused of facilitating students from other districts to appear for Class 12 CBSE board exams under the promise of unfair means to secure high marks.
The controversy surrounding Hoque is not new. Last year, he was accused of fraudulently obtaining an OBC certificate in Sribhumi district during the 1990s, which was later cancelled. The Assam Chief Minister had warned in August 2023 that a police case would be registered against him over this issue. Additionally, Sarma had accused USTM of being responsible for “flood jihad” against Guwahati, alleging that water runoff from the university’s hilltop campus was causing severe flooding in the city.
With multiple legal battles ahead, Hoque’s arrest marks a significant escalation in the controversy surrounding his educational institutions and alleged misconduct.
Read More: Sikkim Enforces Stricter Traffic Rules with Hefty Fines and Jail Terms