Just three days after taking charge of the investigation into the Vyapam scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation asked the Supreme Court to direct the Special Task Force to file charge sheets in all cases in which the probe is already complete.
Appearing for the agency, Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh told a Bench led by Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu that transferring over 185 criminal cases registered in connection with the scam from the Special Task Force (STF) to the CBI would take time.
Mr. Singh said there is not a moment to lose and the STF should file chargessheets in cases which investigation is already over. If not, non-filing of charge sheets would leave the door open for accused persons to seek bail on technical grounds.
The custody of an accused person can be extended from time to time by the court concerned for a maximum 90 days of the investigation, after which if charge sheet is not filed, the person is entitled for bail.
The Bench agreed to hear the agency on July 20, and asked the CBI to hand over copies of its application to the opposite parties concerned.
The court on July 9 transferred all criminal cases and cases of deaths linked to the Vyapam scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a "fair and impartial" probe.
The CBI was ordered to effectively take charge of the investigation from July 13.
On the question as to whether the probe should be monitored by the apex court, the Bench said the issue would be decided later in consultation with the CBI. It had then posted the Vyapam cases for hearing on July 24.
The apex court had made it clear that with the CBI on the case now, the Madhya Pradesh High Court will not "touch” the Vyapam cases.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi for the Madhya Pradesh government had supported the CBI probe, and submitted that the court could decide whatever it wanted to render justice.
The apex court had passed the order while hearing a batch of petitions, including the one filed by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh seeking apex court-monitored CBI probe into all cases arising out of the Vyapam scam.
The scam involves massive irregularities and corruption in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) or MP Vyavsayik Pareeksha Mandal, abbreviated in Hindi as Vyapam.
Noting that it will not allow even one more death, the Supreme Court transferred all criminal and death cases linked to the Vyapam scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a “fair and impartial” probe.
The Supreme Court has ordered a CBI probe into the multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board that has resulted in unexplained deaths of key accused and witnesses.
A Trail of graft and gore
- 1982: Vyaysayik Pareeksha Mandel (Vyapam) set up to conduct entrance examinations for pro-fessional courses
- 2008: Recruitment tests for government Jobs also included
- July 5, 2009: Widespread irregularities in recruitments come to light
- 2009: Medical exam paper leaked; first complaint filed
- December, 2009: Chief Minister forms panel to probe scam
- Jul 7, 2013: Police register FIR, arrest 20 impersonators
- Jul 16, 2013: Jag-dish Sagar, kingpin of scam, arrested
- Aug 26, 2013: STF takes over probe, 55 FIRs registered
- Oct 9, 2013: Admissions of 345 examinees cancelled
- Dec 18,2013: Ex-Higher Education Minister Laxmikant Sharma booked
- Jun 29, 2015: SIT says 23 people related to scam died due to 'Unnatural causes"; unofficial count puts figure at 46
- July 7: Chouhan agrees to CBI probe
The Whistleblowers
Ashish Chaturvedi, 26-year-old social activist from Gwalior, claims CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is a key player in the scam.
Prashant Pandey, cyber expert roped in by the STF, retrieved key Vyapam files.
Anvil Rai, Indore-based RTI activist flied a PIL which led to the probe.
Vyapam scam
High-profile deaths
> Shailesh Yadav
He was found dead at his home in Lucknow in March. He was accused of taking money to help candidates from Bhind clear the exam for contractual teachers.
> D.K. Sakalley
He was the Dean of Jabalpur Medical College. He was also allegedly linked to the scam; he died of burns under suspicious circumstances.
> Akshay Singh
He worked for TV Today group, died soon after interviewing parents of a girl who was an accused and had herself died in suspicious circumstances.
> Arun Sharma
He was also the Dean of the Jabalpur-based College. He was probing fake examinees in the Scam. He was found dead in a hotel in Delhi.
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