known as the ‘Jeep Scandal Case’ which occurred in the year 1948 in which V.K. Krishna Menon, the then Indian High Commissioner to Britain ignored protocol and signed a Rs 80 lakh contract for the purchase of army jeeps with a foreign firm. Thus began India’s journey which, sad to say, is riddled with conspiracy and scandal.

It has been estimated that since this dubious debutant, the scams that have so far been exposed and which have been brought to the notice of the public are collectively worth a whooping Rs 910,603,234,300,000, which is equal to USD 20.23 trillion. With this huge amount, India will become a super-power overnight and can permanently kill all social problems mainly poverty and unemployment.

Education being a prime requisite for any individual with a dream of making something of himself, it is not surprising that, in the present day and age where scams are a dime a dozen, people waiting to prey on the unwitting student and ill – informed parents abound. Such a scam was recently uncovered in Meghalaya where it has been alleged that the CMJ University, run by a questionable Chancellor was duping its students besides issuing fake degrees.

The wheelings and dealings of this private university had been under suspicion for quite some time but it was when the University was pulled up by the Governor of Meghalaya Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary that the issue started to unfold. The Governor, who is also the Visitor of the university had, on the 30th of May 2013, directed that no fresh admissions were to be taken till the appointment of a Chancellor for the University. The Governor had stated that the present Chancellor appointed by the university did not have the consent of the Visitor which was in violation of the CMJ University Act 2009. Like a bolt from the blue, the Governor had also directed the university to withdraw all degrees that the university has awarded so far and to submit a compliance report by the 21st of May 2013.

With reports of the actions taken by the Governor hitting the front pages of the local dailies the next day, the premises of the CMJ university at the Laitumkhrah locality of Shillong was flooded by students who had a hundred and one questions for the authorities of the university. Wanting an audience with the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor of the university these students were denied the same as they were told that both of these two persons were unavailable at the time. The Deputy Registrar of the university Prem Rai had told the students that the Chancellor of the university Chandra Mohan Jha was out of station as he was attending a wedding and that the Vice Chancellor Dr. PC Sharma was recuperating from a heart attack which he had suffered some time back and hence had not been to work for quite some time. Rai also said that the Chancellor would return to Shillong on the 6th of May after which clarifications from him would be available. In an interesting revelation, it was found that most of the students of the university were not sure whether the university was fully recognized and that it was just approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

 

What about the turmoil and the anxiety that these students are facing? What about their dreams? What now, becomes of them? The questions abound, with answers sadly, few available.’

On the following day, namely the 2nd of May 2013, it was reported that a rather convenient case of vandalism had taken place at the offices of the CMJ university at Laitumkhrah, consequent to which the computers storing important information pertaining to the affairs of the university were severely damaged. It was a little later on this day itself that the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) started its investigations on the university after sealing its Laitumkhrah premises. The CID was also assisted by experts from the forensic department in this investigation. As part of the investigations CID officials had also left for Assam to investigate the role of some prominent colleges located in Guwahati which had connections with the CMJ university. Not long after this, the CID also sealed the CMJ Faculty and Technology campus located at Khanapara.

Concerned by the disturbing turn of events in the matter, the affected students of the university, on the 5th of May 2013, had asked the State Government to repeal the Governor’s ruling on the degrees awarded by the university. These students had submitted a memorandum to the State Principal Secretary in charge of education in this regard besides demanding that the university be permitted to conduct the examinations which had been scheduled to begin on the 24th of May. These students also drew the Government’s notice to the fact that the directive of the Governor would have an adverse effect on their future besides putting their careers at risk. In this regard, the students were informed by the university authorities that the ruling of the Governor only applies to M.Phil ad Ph.D degrees even as media reports stated otherwise.

Vandalism had taken place at the offices of the CMJ university at Laitumkhrah, consequent to which the computers storing important information pertaining to the affairs of the university were severely damaged.

As time progressed with no visible signs of the return of the Chancellor of the university, the CID started a hunt for this missing official even as there were reports that he was holed up somewhere in Bihar. Apart from looking for Jha, the State CID had also arrested the university’s Registrar Mrinal Kanti Deb from the city on the 10th of May. The Deputy Registrar of the university on the other hand had been admitted into Shillong Civil Hospital after complaining of health problems even as these were seen as a ploy to avoid interrogation. It was also reported that the Director of the university Manjeet Kaur and Human Resource Manager Juban Kharpuri were missing.

It was at this point of time that the strong suspicion that the vandalism at the Laitumkhrah premises of the university was an ‘inside job’ were confirmed through the revelation of the police that the Deputy Registrar of the university Dr. Premlal Rai had lodged a false complaint in this regard. It was revealed by the police that after a thorough investigation, they had ascertained that the staff of the university was behind the vandalism in an effort to destroy incriminating evidence. The SP of East Khasi Hills M Kharkrang had said that the police had been requested to file a criminal case against the staff of the university in this regard.

The 20th of May witnessed a major development in the case through the surrender of the Human Resource Manager – cum – Controller of Examinations of the university Juban Kharpuri. However, his interrogation was put on hold as he was immediately admitted to hospital after complaining of ill health.

On the 24th of May, a press conference was held in which the legal adviser of the Chandra Mohan Jha Foundation and trustee of CMJ University, SP Sharma clarified that the Chancellor of CMJ University CM Jha was in Bihar attending to his ailing father and not absconding as per news reports. He also informed that the university was following all the norms of the UGC in awarding Ph.D degrees. However this clarification has been taken with a pinch of salt by the students of the university and the authorities.

The latest development in this sordid affair was the surrender of the Director of the university on the 27th of May. Till the filing of this article, Chandra Mohan Jha is still ‘attending to his ailing father’ even as the State of Meghalaya is contemplating the fate of the affected students of the university. The pertinent question here is – what happens to these students who now have to face the repercussions of this issue? Even as the Meghalaya Government has stated that the affected students will be taken in by the other educational institutions of the city, one has to question the ability of these institutions to absorb the large number of students concerned. After all, it is a well known fact that seats in the educational institutions of the city are not unlimited. With the hospitalization of the authorities of the university, one has to question as to how many hard working and sincere students who have been robbed of their dreams have, as of now been hospitalized? What about the turmoil and the anxiety that these students are facing? What about their dreams? What now, becomes of them? What about the other private universities in the North East region? How do we monitor them? The questions abound, with answers sadly, few available.’

H. Nongkhlaw