Vyapam Scam: Governor Named in Computer Files Cited as Key Evidence

Bhopal: Ignoring protocol and ignominy, Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav has refused to resign despite being named "Accused No 10" in a case embedded in the Vyapam or jobs scam, now being investigated by the CBI.  

NDTV has today accessed exclusive information on how computer files that are key evidence in the case include the Governor in an alleged payroll of bribe-takers and officials who misused their positions.

So far, the Governor has not been investigated because the  Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that he is entitled to immunity while in office. The court said, however, that his statement could be recorded by state investigators; inexplicably, a year later, that has yet to be done. The Supreme Court is considering whether to order Mr Yadav's removal so that he can be probed.

"We do not believe that the office of Governor enjoys this sort of immunity," said BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao to NDTV today, stating for the first time that the government believes Mr Yadav can be investigated while in office.  

Last year, the state police outlined the evidence against Governor Yadav and his son in an FIR.  Pankaj Trivedi and Nitin Mohindra, both former officials with Vyapam, the state board that the scam is named after, have been arrested and say the Governor "recommended"  five people as forest guards.  It is their computer files that mention 'Governor' in a spreadsheet that they say recorded bribe givers and takers.

The death of the Governor's son, Shailesh Yadav, is among more than 30 being investigated by the CBI as possibly linked to the Vyapam scam. He accepted a bribe of three lakhs at the Governor's official residence, according to the police's FIR.  The NDTV newsbreak on those details has been cited by whistle-blowers in  the Supreme Court.