A significant cash-for-marks scam has been uncovered in Assam, leading to the arrest of nine individuals involved in the digital tampering of marksheets. The police initiated the investigation after discrepancies were noted in the marksheet of a student from Ganesh Lal Choudhury College, which is affiliated with Gauhati University.
The college filed a complaint regarding the inflated marks of a student named Azizul Haque. Upon review, the marksheets revealed discrepancies when compared to the actual scores submitted by college invigilators to the university.
During interrogation, Haque confessed to paying Rs10,000 to have his marks altered across multiple semesters, including the first, third, fourth, and fifth. The investigation is ongoing, with police anticipating further arrests as they expand their inquiry.
Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, stated, “Those responsible for operating the computer system dealing with marksheets at Gauhati University take money from students to increase their marks.” He confirmed that six similar cases have surfaced in Barpeta, and the prime suspect has been apprehended.
Sources from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) revealed that Gauhati University had outsourced its Integrated University Management System (IUMS) to a third-party operator, ITI Limited, a Central government undertaking. It is at this stage where the tampering occurred.
Arrests were made across four districts—Barpeta, Dhubri, Kamrup (Metro), and Nagaon. Among those arrested is K. Krishnamurthy, identified as the kingpin of the operation, who led the team at the university, targeting students for financial gain. Other arrested individuals include Moinul Haque, Abul Baser, and junior computer assistant Shivtosh Mahato.
Gauhati University has initiated an internal investigation into the matter, and CID sources have reported discovering at least ten instances of inflated marks, with indications that around 50 students may have paid for grade alterations.