Vyapam scam: SC to hear plea seeking CBI probe into mystery deaths

The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday a plea by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and three whistle-blowers seeking an apex court-monitored CBI probe into the Vyapam scam and the string of mystery deaths related to the examination and recruitment scandal.

An apex court bench headed by chief justice HL Dattu on Tuesday said these petitions would be taken up on July 9 along with two others seeking removal of Madhya Pradesh governor Ram Naresh Yadav so that he could be prosecuted for his alleged involvement in the scam.

Singh and the three whistle-blowers – Ashish Chaturvedi, Anand Rai and Prashant Pandey – while demanding for a SC-monitored CBI probe said they have no faith in the state agency Special Task Force that is probing the scam.

The multi-crore scam in Madhya Pradesh got murkier on Monday with a mysterious third death linked to the scandal but the Centre ruled out a CBI probe despite mounting pressure amid allegations of witnesses being deliberately eliminated.

Opposition parties called for the resignation of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe as the investigation into one of the country’s biggest corruption scandals spread to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

At least 40 people including witnesses, accused and beneficiaries connected to the racket have been found dead since 2013, when the arrest of 20 people in Indore blew the lid off the massive scam that has seen over 2,000 arrests including top bureaucrats and middlemen.

The BJP has stood behind Chouhan as top leaders think his exit will trigger instability within the party in the state but many say the embattled leader’s days as chief minister may be numbered as he faces the worst crisis of his political career.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh ruled out a CBI probe, saying a Madhya Pradesh high court-monitored special investigating team (SIT) was already investigating the allegations.

“If the SC or the high court feels the probe is not perfect, it will give directions and the government will immediately accept it and hand over the matter to the CBI,” Singh said.

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Source:hindustantimes