Vyapam scam: CBI raids homes of former officers

The CBI on Saturday conducted searches at seven residential premises of former supervisors of Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB), who had allegedly tampered answer sheets of some candidates, as part of its investigations into the multi-crore Vyapam scam.

Searches were carried out at seven places in Bhopal and Morena districts in Madhya Pradesh. Sources said searches were conducted based on inputs from a CBI team probing the case. Searches were related to cases pertaining to the transport constable recruitment examination, 2012 and the pre-medical test, 2012.

“All these supervisors, now retired, had played an important role in tampering answer sheets of some candidates to ensure they cleared the examinations. Searches were also conducted at the premise of a candidate in the police constable recruitment examination, 2012 at Jawra in Morena district. The agency sleuths recovered several incriminating documents during searches. Recovered documents are being scrutinised”, sources said.

The CBI is likely to file 15 fresh FIRs against former officials of the MPPEB, popularly known as Vyapam. The agency, which has so far registered more than 114 FIRs in connection with Vyapam scam, is now probing the role of senior officials of the MPPEB who allegedly helped students by manipulating their answer sheets.

“Investigations by the agency have also revealed that in certain cases the candidates in question were reportedly asked to leave their answer sheets blank and were given high marks in the exam by some suspected MPPEB officials”, sources said. “The agency sleuths also found that in some cases students were supplied with solved answer sheets before they took the exam by the suspected officials. At least 15 FIRs may be registered against the suspected Vyapam officials”, sources added.

CBI investigations have revealed that the Vyapam scam involved collusion among candidates, government officials and middlemen. “Undeserving candidates bribed the MPPEB officials through middlemen to be seated strategically next to a brilliant dummy candidate, who was also paid money. The dummy candidate let them copy from his sheet or exchanged the sheet at the end of the exam”, sources said.