CBI’s first Vyapam chargesheet soon

The CBI, investigating the multi-crore Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, will soon start filing its chargesheets against certain officials of the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB).

The agency, sources said, is likely to file its first chargesheet against three officials of the MPPEB, also known as Vyapam, for their alleged role in the irregularities committed in pre-medical tests (PMT) 2011-12. The CBI had registered a case against 28 persons on allegations of impersonation by certain individuals in respect of 10 candidates in Vyapam-conducted pre-medical tests, sources said, adding that the CBI sleuths have found enough evidence against three MPPEB officials in this connection.

Sources said, “The CBI will soon conclude its investigations into the alleged irregularities committed in the police constable recruitment exam (2012) conducted by Vyapam. The CBI had registered a case against two persons to probe the allegations of cheating by impersonation in constable recruitment examination.” The agency will soon file its chargesheet in this case also, sources said.

The CBI has already constituted a special team of 40 officers, under a joint director-level officer, to probe the multi-crore scam. A bench headed by then Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu had on July 9 transferred the probe of all cases related to the Vyapam scam to the CBI.

Vyapam is a government body responsible for conducting several entrance tests in Madhya Pradesh. It recruits for government jobs and admissions to educational institutes. The Vyapam scam is allegedly well-orchestrated rigging of entrance exams to help undeserving candidates, who allegedly bribed politicians and officials through middlemen to get high ranks in these entrance tests. The Vyapam scam dates back to 2004.

More than 2,000 people have so far been arrested in connection with the scam, including former education minister Laxmikant Sharma, over a 100 politicians, several Vyapam officials, bureaucrats, middlemen, students and their parents. So far, 44 people related to the Vyapam scam have turned up dead.