SHILLONG, May 3 � The controversial Chandra Mohan Jha (CMJ) University was sealed in a late night raid on Thursday by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
CID sleuths swooped down on the off-campus building which also houses other offices and sealed it including the chancellor, Jha�s office. The investigating officers also seized some materials.
The CID swang into action after the Governor�s Secretariat filed a criminal case against the university for �issuing PhD degrees� without authorisation and by flouting norms.
However, the deputy registrar of CMJ University, Premlal Rai today said that the decision to seal the university was �arbitrary which would be challenged.� He did not elaborate what course of action the university would adopt. �We have opened the university and our head office was not sealed as is being rumoured. This was an arbitrary decision to seal the university�s campus at Laitumkhrah, but today we opened it,� Rai said.
He also said that the university �has not issued any PhD degrees� to students in Assam. �Notifications were issued that PhD degrees would be issued after authenticating the academic credentials of the students,� Rai explained when asked.
The Governor, in his order, has claimed that over 400 students, mostly from Assam, were issued PhD degrees without following procedures. �We have issued a few PhD degrees elsewhere, but not in Assam,� Rai claimed. Meanwhile, Governor RS Mooshahary has ordered that all degrees issued by the university must be withdrawn.
