USTM Chancellor Mahbubul Hoque secures bail in 1st case; Gauhati HC to order on second charge tomorrow

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 3, 2025

The Gauhati High Court on Monday granted bail to Mahbubul Hoque, Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), in one of two cases linked to an alleged CBSE Class 12 examination malpractice. The court is expected to deliver its ruling on his second bail plea on Tuesday.

Hoque was taken into custody on February 21 from his residence in Ghoramara after a complaint was filed at Patharkandi police station in Assam’s Sribhumi district. The complaint, lodged by the Patharkandi circle officer, accuses him of orchestrating a scheme to facilitate cheating at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sribhumi, in exchange for financial benefits.

The first case (No. 54/2025) alleges that Hoque accepted payments to provide unfair advantages to students. A second case (No. 55/2025), carrying similar accusations, was brought before the court on Monday, with a verdict expected soon.

Angshuman Barah, Hoque’s legal counsel, confirmed that both cases are based on similar sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

After his arrest, Hoque appeared before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Sribhumi on February 24 and was placed in police custody for four days alongside five others—Hiramani Saikia, Bijoy Dutta, Rezzak Ali, Numaan Ahmed, and Imdadur Rahman. Upon completion of their remand, all six were sent to judicial custody as police opted not to seek an extension.

Investigators claim that Hoque’s alleged actions primarily benefited students from the ERD Group, which comprised the bulk of examinees at the test center. Of the 274 students who took the Physics exam at Kendriya Vidyalaya, 214 belonged to the ERD Group.