Vyapam deaths: CBI calls for records of Akshay, Namrata

Akshay, a journalist, died in mysterious circumstances while he was on trail of the Vyapam scandal and investigating death of one Namrata Damor

After registering three cases in Vyapam scam, Central Bureau of Investigation today demanded records of journalist Akshay Singh and Namrata Damor. Akshay died in mysterious circumstances while he was on trail of the Vyapam scandal and investigating death of one Namrata Damor whose body was found near Ujjain railway tracks after her name figured in the scam in 2012.

“CBI has called for records from the SPs (Superintendents of police) of Ujjain, Kanker, Gwalior, Jhabua and DIG (deputy inspector general) Indore for obtaining the case records relating to the deaths of Namrata Damor and Akshay Singh along with Vijay Patel, Rajendra Arya and Deepak Verma,” a CBI spokesperson said.

Akshaya, 38, died when his reportedly finished his conversation with father of Namrata Damor in Meghnagar town of tribal dominated Jhabua district. He complained of uneasiness and died suddenly.

Similarly a panel of three doctors, who performed post mortem on Namrata’s body, did not rule out a murder but local police had closed the file after obtaining a second opinion. It was reviewed recently but Superintendent of Police M S Verma had told Business Standard there had been no angle of murder in Namrata’s case.

Akshay, according to reports, recorded an interview with Namrata’s father and collapsed later. He was taken to nearby government hospital and later to a private hospital to Dahod, some 40 km away, in Gujarat where doctors pronounced him dead.

Vyapam (Vyapsayik Pareeksha Mandal or MP Professional Examination Board) scam pertains to rigging of entrance examination for professional courses like medical, engineering and government jobs. Several candidates, allegedly in collusion with influential people like politicians, Vyapam officials and other middlemen rigged examination results in their favour in lieu of bribe.