On March 18, 2025, a court in Sonitpur district, Assam, rejected the bail application of Mahbubul Hoque, the Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM). The decision was made by Sonitpur Judicial Magistrate First Class Hriday Jyoti Kashyap after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defense. Hoque is accused of promising students the use of unfair means to secure high marks in examinations, a case tied to his involvement with the ERD Foundation, which operates various educational institutions, including a school in Assam’s Sribhumi district.

The case stems from an FIR filed in Dhekiajuli following a complaint, leading to Hoque’s arrest on February 22, 2025, alongside five teachers from a school in Patharkandi, Sribhumi district. He appeared via video conferencing from Tezpur Central Jail, where he remains in custody. The charges against him include several non-bailable sections of relevant laws, as stated by government advocate Munin Barua.

This ruling follows a series of legal developments for Hoque. Earlier in March, the Gauhati High Court had granted him bail in two cases registered in Sribhumi and restrained his arrest in three others in Gossaigaon, Kokrajhar, and Barpeta. However, the Sonitpur police arrested him in connection with this separate case, prolonging his detention. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has publicly commented on the situation, asserting that Hoque, whom he has labelled a “big fraud,” will face an extended period in jail. The controversy has also been fueled by prior allegations against Hoque, including a fraudulent OBC certificate and claims of environmental misconduct linked to USTM’s campus.

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