Guwahati, Dec 23 The sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted search operations in the offices of CMJ University in Shillong and at the residences of its Chancellor Chandra Mohan Jha in Shillong and New Delhi, officials said on Monday.
The searches were carried out in connection with the allegation that the CMJ University sold fake degrees at hefty prices.
According to an official statement, during the course of the current searches, several incriminating documents and digital evidence have been found and seized. From the seized digital evidence, it is found that fake degrees pertaining to the years 2012, 2013 etc, still continued to be sold by CMJ University at hefty prices.
The University is also found to be running with skeletal infrastructure without proper records. Further, Proceeds of Crime found in bank accounts to the tune of Rs 1.53 crore have been placed under freezing orders during the searches under PMLA.
“Total Proceeds of Crime have been quantified at Rs 83.52 crore, out of which ED had already attached properties worth Rs 48.76 crore earlier. One Prosecution Complaint in this case has already been filed in the Special Court in Shillong,” it added.
The searches were conducted in the offices of CMJ University and CMJ Foundation and also at the residences of the Chancellor, Chandra Mohan Jha in New Delhi and Shillong.
Notably, based on several complaints, the Meghalaya Governor, who was the visitor of the CMJ University, had directed the State Government to dissolve the CMJ University in 2013 and the dissolution was also upheld by the Meghalaya High Court in 2021.
The official statement also mentioned that the ED initiated the investigation on the basis of FIR and charge-sheet filed by the Meghalaya Police under the IPC, 1860 against CMJ University and its Chancellor Chandra Mohan Jha, his family members, who were also Trustees of CMJ Foundation for defrauding thousands of students by giving them fake degree certificates in lieu of money.
Around 20570 fake degrees were awarded by CMJ University despite its small faculty with highly doubtful credentials.
ED investigation revealed that after selling the fake degrees, the funds received in their bank accounts were diverted after rotating amongst bank accounts in various banks as Fixed Deposits/Bank Balances, Mutual Funds and Life Insurance policies maintained by the members of the Jha family and given colour of genuine transactions.
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