Vyapam scam: twists and turns

A look at the trail the Vyapam scam has left since 2007.

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.

34deaths

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.

Anand Rai, Indore-based RTI activist filed a PIL which led to the probe.

Vyapam scam

• » The Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh dates back to 2007, with investigations in the case starting after some details came to light in 2013.
• » It has been alleged by the Congress as well as several social activists that the officials took money to compromise the examination and recruitment.
• »Editorials:>The Vyapam scam trail
• >The tentacles of Vyapam
• » CBI probe is just a start, says Digvijaya Singh in an >interview to The Hindu
• » Congress leaders openly accused MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his wife of being involved in the scam. Later, they submitted the "original evidence".
• » Earlier this year, Chief Minister Chouhan claimed in a >letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi that the developments regarding the Vyapam scam provided proof of his honesty as he was the one who ordered a probe into it.
• »> Here are five things you need to know about Vyapam Scam.

• >

  SC transfers Vyapam investigation to CBI

  The whistleblowers are Ashish Chaturvedi, Dr Anand Rai and Prashant Pandey seeking an apex court-monitored CBI probe into the scam.

• >

  Madhya Pradesh Governor may be on way out

  The indications came after Home Minister Rajnath Singh met President Pranab Mukherjee on June 09.

• >

  MP lawyer Adarsh Munni Trivedi falls ill

  The chairman of MP HC Bar Association, who had in the past represented petitioners seeking a CBI probe in the scam, took ill and his family suspected an attempt at food poisoning.

• >

  Medico Namrata Damor's death

  The police initially filed a case of murder, but while filing a closure report in 2014, termed it a suicide.

• >

  Spate of deaths raises disturbing questions

  The Madhya Pradesh govt. rejected a demand for CBI probe.

• >

  Another Vyapam scam accused dies in MP

  Narendra Singh Tomar died under mysterious circumstances in an Indore jail.

• >

  Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav's involvement

  The Special Task Force probed the alleged involvement of Governor Ram Naresh Yadav. But later, the >FIR against him was quahed.

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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For full coverage of Vyapam Scam click here

Published - July 04, 2015 02:34 pm IST