Fresh Case Filed Against Eight In Vyapam Scam In Madhya Pradesh

A fresh First Information Report has been filed in the Vyapam scam, eight years after Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh filed a complaint. The case, filed by the Special Task Force on December 6, is against eight persons, who have been accused of allegedly rigging the multi-crore medical entrance and recruitment scam in Madhya Pradesh.

The STF's decision has apparently triggered unrest within a section of the state's ruling BJP. Some leaders feel it is a "political" move against them, sources have said. The FIR mentions "direct and indirect" involvement of unnamed senior BJP leaders in the alleged scam that hit BJP-led state government in 2014.

Sources in the STF dismissed any possibility of a political controversy, saying it is a routine process.

The officials have been investigating hundreds of complaints related to the Vyapam scam that were not taken up by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The STF has registered cases against eight persons who allegedly cleared the medical entrance tests by having other people impersonate them. Their signatures and other credentials were found to be mismatched when the documents were checked, officials said on condition of anonymity.  

The CBI has so far chargesheeted more than 650 people in the case including the chairmen of three medical colleges in Madhya Pradesh.
The agency said the candidates had cheated by having expert "problem solvers" impersonate them in the exam with the connivance of the authorities.

The scam, which started in 1995 and was exposed in 2013, allegedly involves politicians, senior officials and businessmen. The CBI had taken over the investigation following an order by the Supreme Court order in 2015.