SC orders CBI probe in Vyapam scam, Chouhan says he is ‘relieved'

New Delhi: A couple of days after the Supreme Court termed the Vyapam scam shocking, the court on Thursday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the admission and recruitment racket in Madhya Pradesh.

Noting that it will not allow even one more death, the court directed investigation into all criminal cases as well as deaths of more than two dozen people allegedly linked to the scam. Seven months ago, however, the apex court had said the opposite—it declined to bring in the CBI and said it was “satisfied” that the high court had “taken all care”.

The Supreme Court also asked Madhya Pradesh governor Ram Naresh Yadav to explain why an first information report (FIR) shouldn’t be filed against him for his alleged complicity in the scam. Yadav, meanwhile, went ahead with his plans to host an iftaar party at Raj Bhavan in Bhopal on Thursday evening. While chief minister Shivarj Singh Chouhan, whose government is besieged by the massive controversy, decided to skip the festivities, home minister Babulal Gaur attended the party. Read more

Chouhan who has been under attack from the opposition Congress said he was “relieved” and that the opposition suffered from “Shivraj phobia”.

Interestingly, Chouhan’s former cabinet colleague Laxmikant Sharma, who is a key accused in the scam, said he felt vindicated by the court’s decision to hand over the probe to the CBI. Accusing the MP Special Task Force (STF) of committing blunders, Sharma told The Times of India: “The probe was based on assumption and statements given by students. But several influential people have not been touched. STF has no evidence against me. They cannot prove I took money, yet I was made the prime accused.” Read more

Meanwhile, DNA reports that the three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) supervising the probe, led by the MP government-appointed STF, said the investigation into the Vyapam scam was about to conclude and reiterated that the investigation till now have been “spotless”. Now it will be up to the CBI to take on the crucial task and prevail over power dynamics and chase links that may have potentially influenced investigations carried out by the state police and the STF. Read more

Interesting insights have emerged from investigations carried out by NDTV which reports on a list of judges of the Madhya Pradesh high court with links to the Vyapam scam. The list has reportedly been handed over in a sealed envelope to India’s chief justice H.L. Duttu. In an interview with NDTV on Thursday, whistleblower Anand Rai said he, among others, had submitted the names of judges linked to the admissions scam in private colleges.

Meanwhile, a Hindustan Times investigation has found that court-monitored special inquiry into the multi-crore exam-rigging scandal, slapped identical charges against hundreds of accused students and parents, including allegations of gun-running and selling illicit liquor. Read more

Scroll.in writes that the systematic manipulation of the medical exam process over at least a decade means that there are at least 2,000 doctors with questionable aptitude treating patients. Read more