Assam police arrest USTM chancellor Mahbubul Hoque

GUWAHATI- Mahbubul Hoque, the Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), was arrested by Assam Police in the early hours of February 22, 2025, from his residence in Ghoramara, Guwahati. Following his arrest, he was taken to Sribhumi district for further questioning.

The arrest is reportedly linked to allegations of irregularities during the CBSE Class 12 Physics examination held on February 21, 2025, at Central Public School in Patharkandi, Sribhumi district—a school operated by Hoque’s Education Research and Development (ERD) Foundation.

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According to police sources, the incident involved 274 students appearing for the exam at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Sribhumi, of whom 45 were from the school and 214 were affiliated with the ERD Group, including students from Vision 50, a coaching program run by USTM.

Reports suggest that financial transactions were allegedly made to facilitate unfair means for ERD Group students during the exam. However, when the promised assistance failed to materialize, unrest erupted at the examination center, prompting an official investigation and Hoque’s subsequent arrest.

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Assam’s Education Minister, Ranoj Pegu, commented on the situation via X on February 21, 2025, describing the allegations as “shocking” and claiming that students were assured help in the 30-mark MCQ section of the exam, with many strategically placed at the school to gain an unfair advantage.

While the police have not officially detailed the exact charges in public statements as of yet, sources indicate the arrest stems from complaints of malpractice and a resulting “law and order” situation at the exam center.

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Hoque, speaking briefly to reporters after his arrest, stated that he was “summoned” by the police “for not allowing students to resort to cheating” and claimed he had not received a copy of the FIR or further details about the allegations against him.

Mahbubul Hoque, is the founder of USTM and chairman of the ERD Foundation, which operates several educational institutions in Assam and Meghalaya. A self-made educationist with a humble background, Hoque has been lauded for his contributions to education in Northeast India, including building USTM into a reputable institution with over 6,000 students and an ‘A’ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

The arrest followed a controversy surrounding the private university, which gained further attention when Guwahati experienced severe waterlogging during the monsoon season last year.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma  had alleged that the city faced flash floods due to large-scale deforestation in the Jorabat hills on the outskirts of Guwahati, which he attributed to private institutions like USTM. According to Sarma, USTM’s activities led to deforestation in the Jorabat hills, causing water to run down into the city, contributing to the flooding.

In response, USTM officials denied the allegations. A university spokesperson explained that the USTM campus is located in a small part of the Baridua area near Jorabat in Ri-Bhoi district, which has largely developed along the G.S. Road.

The spokesperson argued that USTM’s campus only contributes a small fraction to the water flow in the region and emphasized that all infrastructure projects at the university, including the medical college, had the necessary permissions from the Government of Meghalaya. The construction, guided by consultants from Delhi and Mumbai, had also been reviewed by IIT experts.