News Analysis India

Tag: Vyapam scam

  • Over 40 deaths in Vyapam scam continue to be a mystery

    By IANS

    BHOPAL: The Vyapam scam, which has irregularities in three categories — impersonation, manipulation and engine- bogie (nexus between government employees and middlemen), came to light in 2013. The CBI in its several chargesheets has listed over 1200 accused in different categories, including forgery, bribery, misuse of government office and others.

    However, more than the irregularities in conducting the exams in as many as 13 categories and recruitment of state government employees, including medical and teachers, a number of mysterious deaths of the accused and the witnesses after the scam surfaced shook the nation. And those deaths remain a mystery even today even as 50-55 cases have been disposed off by the special CBI court in Bhopal.

    On record, there are more than 40 people associated with the scam who have died since it broke in 2013. A senior Public Prosecutor representing the CBI in the court said, “Over 55 people have died so far, including some during the court proceedings due to which many accused and co-accused were acquitted.”

    Most of the people who were either accused or witnesses in the cover-up have died due to alcohol-related illnesses, suicide or road accidents. At least ten middlemen have died in road accidents since 2010, three years before the scam broke.

    The deaths include accused and witnesses as well as a journalist who was investigating the scam, and have largely been under mysterious circumstances. At least five persons died in strange circumstances, within a period of one week in 2015, including the dean of a Jabalpur medical college Dr Arun Sharma, medical student Namrata Damor and TV journalist Akshay Singh, who was probing the scam.

    The other persons who died in suspicious circumstances include Shailesh Yadav, who was the son of then Madhya Pradesh Governor (late) Ramnaresh Yadav. Shailesh, who was named as an accused in the multi-crore Vyapam scam, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his father’s official residence in March 2015.

    Similarly, a constable Sanjay Yadav, who was a witness in the case was found dead at his house a day before he was to appear in the court. “See, there was a strong nexus of politicians, senior bureaucrats ans even police officials and they wanted to stop witnesses at any cast. People were targeted and killed. Who killed these people and who was behind it is still a mystery and is likely to remain so,” said a Bhopal-based activist, who refused to identify himself.

    BHOPAL: The Vyapam scam, which has irregularities in three categories — impersonation, manipulation and engine- bogie (nexus between government employees and middlemen), came to light in 2013. The CBI in its several chargesheets has listed over 1200 accused in different categories, including forgery, bribery, misuse of government office and others.

    However, more than the irregularities in conducting the exams in as many as 13 categories and recruitment of state government employees, including medical and teachers, a number of mysterious deaths of the accused and the witnesses after the scam surfaced shook the nation. And those deaths remain a mystery even today even as 50-55 cases have been disposed off by the special CBI court in Bhopal.

    On record, there are more than 40 people associated with the scam who have died since it broke in 2013. A senior Public Prosecutor representing the CBI in the court said, “Over 55 people have died so far, including some during the court proceedings due to which many accused and co-accused were acquitted.”

    Most of the people who were either accused or witnesses in the cover-up have died due to alcohol-related illnesses, suicide or road accidents. At least ten middlemen have died in road accidents since 2010, three years before the scam broke.

    The deaths include accused and witnesses as well as a journalist who was investigating the scam, and have largely been under mysterious circumstances. At least five persons died in strange circumstances, within a period of one week in 2015, including the dean of a Jabalpur medical college Dr Arun Sharma, medical student Namrata Damor and TV journalist Akshay Singh, who was probing the scam.

    The other persons who died in suspicious circumstances include Shailesh Yadav, who was the son of then Madhya Pradesh Governor (late) Ramnaresh Yadav. Shailesh, who was named as an accused in the multi-crore Vyapam scam, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his father’s official residence in March 2015.

    Similarly, a constable Sanjay Yadav, who was a witness in the case was found dead at his house a day before he was to appear in the court. “See, there was a strong nexus of politicians, senior bureaucrats ans even police officials and they wanted to stop witnesses at any cast. People were targeted and killed. Who killed these people and who was behind it is still a mystery and is likely to remain so,” said a Bhopal-based activist, who refused to identify himself.

  • 3 convicted following CBI chargesheet in case related to Vyapam

    By Agencies

    NEW DELHI: Three accused, including a candidate, named in a case relating to fraudulent admission in the PMT-2009, were sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine by the special judge of CBI cases in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh on Monday. The Central Bureau of Investigation started an investigation after registering a case in 2015 following the order of the Supreme Court.

    According to an official statement of CBI, issued to the media on Monday, the accused sentenced with five years of rigorous imprisonment by a special judge of CBI cases were involved in fraudulent admission in the PMT in 2009 through a solver.

    Those convicted on Monday are Dilip Kannoje (candidate himself), Hridesh Rajput and Manish Rajput (both middlemen) after their involvements in fraudulent admission into PMT-2009 were conclusively established during investigation in a case related to the infamous Vyapam admission scam.

    Dilip Kannoje had used a solver to get through the PMT 2009 examination. The photograph and the signature of the candidate appeared on the RASA sheet and admission form, were allegedly did not match.

    During further investigation, CBI examined the absconding accused and the specimen handwritings of the candidate Dilip Kannoje were sent to the CFSL along with the O.M.R. sheet and other documents.

    As CBI statements claimed, the specimen of handwriting and signatures of the accused (candidate) did not match with handwritings and signatures, put on the questioned OMR sheet and other documents, which were in the name of said accused candidate.

    “It was also found that Dilip Kannoje was the beneficiary candidate who got his selection in PMT -2009 without appearing in the written examination himself and later on, got himself admitted into MBBS Course at a Medical College in Gwalior by adopting unfair means with the support of others, who appeared in the said written examination of PMT- 2009 on behalf of him.

  • HC notice to MP govt on plea of Vyapam scam whistle-blower

    By PTI
    GWALIOR: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued a notice to the state government on a petition of a whistle-blower of the multi-crore Vyapam admission and recruitment scam, after he alleged that he was unlawfully detained for 18 hours in connection with the case in 2018.

    Justice S A Dharmadhikari of the high court’s Gwalior bench on Tuesday gave four weeksto the state government and other respondents to reply to a writ petition filed by the scam whistle-blower, Ashish Chaturvedi, seeking compensation.

    On August 9, 2018, police produced Chaturvedi (29) in a special court here following a warrant issued against him for not deposing in the Vyapam case, Chaturvedi’s advocate DP Singh told PTI on Thursday.

    Chaturvedi did not record his statement at that time, saying he was the complainant in the case.

    He had told the court he would depose only after the investigation into the case is over, Singh said.

    The court imposed a fine of Rs 200 on him, saying if he fails to pay it, he should be sent in judicial custody for 15 days, Chaturvedi’s lawyer said.

    “On August 9, 2018, Chaturvedi deposited the fine before the close of the court’s working at 4.30 pm and hence, the court ordered that Chaturvedi be let off,” he said.

    Even after the court’s direction, Chaturvedi was sent to jail, where some of the accused in the Vyapam scam are also lodged, he alleged.

    He walked out of the jail the next day after “18 hours”, Singh said.

    In his petition filed the high court, Chaturvedi has said the “unlawful” detention has tarnished his unblemished character and career.

    “My client is seeking a heavy compensation,” Singh said.

    The scam refers to irregularities in exams held by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, also called Vyavasayik Pareeksha Mandal or Vyapam, for admission in professional courses and state services.

    Multiple criminal cases related to the scam have been filed in different parts of the state.

    Initially, a special task force of the state police had conducted an investigation into the scam.

    In 2016, the Supreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a probe into the scam.

  • 60 charge-sheeted by CBI in Vyapam scam related to PMT-2011 case in Madhya Pradesh

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: As many as 60 accused were charge-sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the multi-layered Vyapam scam related to the state quota allotment-Pre Medical Test 2011 case before a special CBI court in Gwalior on Thursday.

    Those charge-sheeted also included the directors of medical colleges and former director of state medical education departments, besides other influential individuals.

    Importantly, none of the charge-sheeted accused were summoned by the premier investigation agency in compliance with a MP High Court-Gwalior Bench’s Wednesday order, directing the Special Court not to insist upon the personal appearance of more than five accused before the trial court on any particular date.

    The 2011 Vyapam scam related case will next be heard by the Special CBI court in Gwalior on January 28.

    According to informed sources, the PMT-2011 related case is different from other PMT related cases, as the private medical colleges were the actual beneficiaries in this case.

    According to the charge-sheet submitted by the CBI in the case, the high rankers in the PMT-2011 exam (conducted for admission to medical colleges in the state) first qualified and got selected for admission in the medical colleges. But in collusion with the private medical colleges they vacated the seats owing to which the government quota seats remained vacant.

    The vacant seats were then filled by private medical colleges on the last day of admission allegedly through low scoring candidates, who had paid huge sums to the concerned colleges.

    Importantly, a division bench of MP High Court in Gwalior had on Wednesday ordered the Special CBI court not to insist upon the personal appearance of more than five accused before the trial court on any particular date.

    The order was passed by the HC on Wednesday while disposing of a petition filed by the accused named in the CBI’s charge-sheet filed on Thursday.

    In the petition before the HC, the accused named in the CBI charge-sheet had submitted that they have been summoned to appear together on the said date at one place.

    It could lead to congregation in the Gwalior District Court premises, which increases the threat of a Covid-19 spread.