Guwahati: In a surprising development, the Barpeta Road police have arrested nine people involved in the massive marksheet scam at Guwahati University. It was revealed that marks were illegally increased on the marksheets of students in exchange for money.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke about the matter in Barpeta on Thursday and stressed its seriousness.
He confirmed that the Assam Police and the CID are conducting a joint investigation, which has already resulted in the arrest of eight suspects.
The scam came to light when authorities of Ganeshlal Choudhary College (GLC College) on Barpeta Road noticed irregularities in the marks of Azizul Haque, a sixth-year undergraduate student.
They immediately registered a case at the Barpeta Road police station. However, the initial investigation conducted by the district police was inadequate, leading to Haque’s release from custody.
The local media reported to the Chief Minister about the poor handling of the investigation. As a result, Dr Sarma ordered a thorough probe, which revealed the involvement of several university and college staff in the scam. Those arrested include Krishnan Krishnamurthy of Samastipur in Bihar, who was employed at the Gauhati University, and Shivatosh Mahato, a junior computer assistant at Dhubri Law College. The arrests were made during coordinated raids by the Barpeta and Dhubri police. The nine accused persons include Azizul Haque, Krishnan Krishnamurthy (employee at the Gauhati University) of Samastipur in Bihar, Ismail Hussain of Kalgachhia, Alamgir Khan of Amguri in Kalgachhia, Moinul Haque of Bordanga in Kalgachhia, Hamizuddin of Nagaon, Aminul Islam (librarian at Langla College), Shivatosh Mahato (junior computer assistant at Dhubri Law College) and Abul Bakar of Langla Kalgachhia. A case has been registered against the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and more arrests are expected. The police have refrained from making any statement to the media while the investigation is ongoing.
The scandal has raised significant concerns about academic probity and the integrity of the examination process at Guwahati University.
