Guwahati: A group of prominent Muslim citizens, including former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi and former Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing deep concern over the arrest of Mahbabul Hoque, chancellor of the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) by the Assam Police.
Hoque was arrested from his Guwahati residence last Saturday, allegedly for his involvement in a network that lured students with promises of high marks through fraudulent means, as claimed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
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The group, part of the civil society organization ‘Citizens For Fraternity’, has termed Hoque’s arrest as “pure vendetta” and urged PM Modi to ensure justice in the matter.
They alleged that Hoque’s arrest was aimed at demoralizing progressive members of society and preventing efforts to establish modern secular institutions.
The letter stated that Hoque was arrested without an initial charge-sheet or arrest warrant and was lodged in Karim Gunj Jail, about 300 km from Guwahati.
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The charge-sheet, made available a day after his arrest, accuses him of encouraging mass cheating in Class 12 exams.
The group has questioned the timing of the arrest, which took place on a Saturday morning when judicial redress is difficult, and alleged that it “clearly smacks of vendetta” by the Government of Assam against USTM and its founder.