A video showing policemen being frisked by the private security guards of an university chancellor accused of forgery and exam malpractices, has raised questions online. An X handle named ‘Voice of Assam’ has shared the video suggesting this is a glimpse of lawlessness that may be expected from Bangladesh, Pakistan, or in films, but not India.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, cleared the air and said this is permitted in the law. Sharing the ‘Voice of Assam’ post, he pointed out the exact law that allows a house owner to request that cops be searched before a raid.

As per Section 100(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, when police conduct a search of a residence, the owner has the right to request that the officers be searched first before they proceed with searching the premises. https://t.co/pHvLtFobXZ

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 1, 2025

“As per Section 100(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, when police conduct a search of a residence, the owner has the right to request that the officers be searched first before they proceed with searching the premises,” said Mr Sarma.

The video in question showed cops entering the house of Mahbubul Hoque and being frisked by the private security guards employed by the educator.

Mr Hoque, the Chancellor of University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), was arrested by Assam Police last month over allegations of forging a caste certificate and alleged malpractices during the CBSE Class 12 exam.

On February 21, a police team picked up Mr Hoque in a late-night operation from his Guwahati house with sources indicating that Hoque took money from the students to allegedly help them use unfair means in the exam. This plan did not work out in the end and chaos ensued at the examination centre.

Following complaints, a probe was launched and Mr Hoque was arrested.

Addressing the issue, Chief Minister Sarma had said that Mr Haque was involved in a series of fraudulent activities, including fake degrees and financial irregularities. He had also alleged that the university sold PhDs and other degrees without conducting exams.

Mr Hoque’s university had also been embroiled in a controversy over heavy waterlogging during the last monsoon. Mr Sarma had then blamed large-scale deforestation by some educational institutions for the flash floods, accusing Mr Hoque of “flood jihad”.

The university did not consult an architect while developing new buildings, otherwise, the trees could have been saved, he had alleged, suggesting that teachers and students should stop going to USTM. The university had denied the charges.