A joint team of Assam Police and the Special Task Force (STF) arrested Mahbubul Hoque, Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), from his residence in Guwahati’s Ghoramara.

Hoque’s arrest is linked to allegations of financial transactions facilitating unfair means during the CBSE Class 12 Physics examination.

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According to sources, the case centres around Kendriya Vidyalaya in Assam’s Sribhumi district, where 274 students appeared for the CBSE Class 12 Physics examination.

Among them, 45 were students of the school, while 214 belonged to the ERD Group.

Reports suggest that arrangements were allegedly made to assist ERD Group students in exchange for money.

However, when the promised help did not materialise, unrest broke out at the examination centre, prompting an official investigation.

Authorities, acting on complaints of malpractice, launched a probe that led to Hoque’s detention and subsequent arrest.

Police said more revelations may emerge as investigations progress. Hoque is currently being transferred to Sribhumi for further questioning. His family has not released a statement regarding the incident.

The arrest follows a series of scathing allegations made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against USTM. The Chief Minister has accused the institution of widespread fraud, issuing fake degrees, and engaging in financial irregularities. In a direct attack on Hoque, CM Sarma declared, “The head of USTM himself is a fraud. The entire system is fraudulent, and the institution has been issuing fake certificates to students.”

CM Sarma further alleged that Hoque’s caste certificate was forged, questioning his OBC credentials. “Even his caste certificate is fake. How can our intellectuals praise someone who holds a false OBC certificate?” he asked.

The Chief Minister also cast doubt on USTM’s academic integrity, claiming that degrees, including PhDs, were allegedly being sold. “PhDs are also sold there. There are no proper exams, no degrees—nothing,” Sarma remarked.

USTM has been facing increased scrutiny over its financial dealings, with CM Sarma linking its ongoing financial troubles to a government crackdown on external funding sources.

“This financial crisis exists because we have blocked a significant amount of foreign funding,” he stated.