GUWAHATI, March 13: The chancellor of Meghalaya’s University of Science and Technology, arrested for allegedly promising students to allow unfair means in exams, was Thursday produced before the Sonitpur chief judicial magistrate’s Court at Tezpur, following his arrest by the district police.
CJM H J Kashyap heard the pleas of both Haque’s lawyer and the public prosecutor, but was yet to announce his order.
The Gauhati High Court had on March 3 granted bail to Haque in connection with the first case registered in Sribhumi, as well as the second one in the same district on Wednesday.
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The high court also restrained his arrest in three other cases in Gossaigaon, Kokrajhar and Barpeta, but the Sonitpur police arrested him in connection with another case registered in the district.
Haque, along with five teachers of a school in Patharkandi of Sribhumi district, were arrested on February 22 from Guwahati and sent to 14 days’ judicial custody.
He was brought to Guwahati on February 28 from Sribhumi at Dispur police station and later taken to his residence at Ghoramara area of the city.
The USTM chancellor, who also heads the ERD Foundation, operates various educational institutions, including a school at Patharkandi, was later taken back to Sribhumi.
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 use of unfair means for them to score high marks.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier remarked that the USTM Chancellor will be in jail for a long time.
Sarma had 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 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. (PTI)
