SHILLONG, June 5 � The Meghalaya Cabinet today approved the dissolution of the controversial Chandra Mohan Jha (CMJ) University.
Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Education, RC Laloo said the decision to dissolve the University was taken after the Education department remained unsatisfied with the reply of the University on why it should not be dissolved after allegations of it issuing fake degree certificates surfaced.
The Supreme Court, in fact, left it on the State Government to decide on the dissolution issue of the University after the matter went to Court. The controversial University is alleged to have issued fake certificates to PhD students across the State, country and abroad.
The case against CMJ University was first filed by the then Meghalaya Governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary as the Visitor of the University in May 2013 after he found the irregularities in the functioning of the University.
Mooshahary observed that the University repeatedly acted in contravention of Section 52 of the CMJ University Act 2009 in respect of maintenance of standards and other related matters applicable to private Universities and therefore recommended its dissolution.
The case was handed over to the CID, which began probe. During the investigations the CID sealed the University and confiscated computers and several thousand PhD thesis from its campus. Several officials of the University were also arrested.
The Chancellor of the University, Chandra Mohan Jha remained elusive during this period but was finally arrested from Jhanjharpur in Madhubani district of Bihar in April this year where he was contesting the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate.
He was brought to the State capital on a remand transit and was subsequently remanded to police custody by a local Court, but Jha fell ill during this period and was in hospital until he was granted bail yesterday by the local court here.
Since the CMJ University came into existence through a State legislation the decision of the Cabinet would be brought before the Assembly for a final approval of the House, which begins from tomorrow.
