USTM Chancellor Mahbabul Haque Brought To Guwahati For Interrogation Over Exam Malpractice Allegations

Guwahati: The chancellor of Meghalaya’s University of Science and Technology (USTM), Mahbabul Haque, who has been arrested for allegedly promising students of allowing unfair means in exams, was brought to Guwahati for interrogation on Friday from Assam’s Sribhumi district, police said.

Haque was questioned at Dispur police station and later taken to his residence in Ghoramara area in the city. Haque, along with five teachers of a school in Patharkandi in Sribhumi district, were arrested on February 22 from Guwahati and sent to 14 days of judicial custody in Sribhumi.

The USTM chancellor, who also heads the ERD Foundation, operating various educational institutions including a school at Patharkandi, was brought here early on Friday and questioned for several hours before being taken to his residence amid tight security.

On being asked by reporters about his case, Haque said, “I will talk later. Thank you so much.”

The police, however, did not state the reason for taking Haque to his house and whether they conducted a search of the premises.

Haque was scheduled to be taken back to Sribhumi later in the night.

Purported videos of police officers being searched by Haque’s personal security guards after entering his house were making the rounds on social media but the authenticity of the videos was yet to be independently verified by PTI.

Five teachers of the school were also arrested following allegations that students from other districts were appearing for their class 12 CBSE board exams there following assurance of allowing unfair means to score high marks.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma On The Case

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, when asked about Haque being brought to Guwahati, on the sidelines of a programme here, replied, “Who is he?” On being told that he is the USTM chancellor, Sarma said, “He will be in jail for a long time.”

The Gauhati High Court on Friday heard the bail application of Haque and reserved the order till March 3.

Sarma had earlier also alleged that Haque is a “big fraud, his entire background is fraud”.

Haque was embroiled in a controversy last year over his OBC certificate, which he had obtained “fraudulently” in Sribhumi district in the 1990s.

Sarma had said in August that a police case would be registered against the USTM chancellor for allegedly fraudulently obtaining the OBC certificate, which was cancelled subsequently.

The CM had also held USTM and Haque responsible for “flood jihad” against Guwahati, claiming that the water flowing down from the varsity campus, which is located on a hill adjacent to the city, leads to massive flooding.

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