CBI files charge sheet against 490 accused in Vyapam scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed charge sheet against 490 accused in the Vyapam scam.

The Vyapam scam is an admission and recruitment scam involving politicians, senior officials and businessmen in Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB), popularly known by its Hindi acronym "Vyapam"(Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal).

The CBI also said that there is no basis in allegations made by senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh that the hard disk which was seized was tampered with.

The Congress leader had moved a writ petition in the Supreme Court in 2015 seeking forensic investigation of documents, including the hard disk recovered from the Vyapam office.

However, as per the CBI, the seized documents, including the hard disk, were sent to Hyderabad's Forensic Science Laboratory for examination and suggested no tampering.

Singh, in 2015, had also claimed to possess a pen drive that had the contact number of Chouhan and his wife, alleging that there had been exchange of messages between them and some of the Vyapam accused.

In May, the CBI informed the Supreme Court that Congress leader Digvijaya Singh will face action for allegedly running a campaign against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the Vyapam scam on the basis of forged documents.

The scam involved 13 different exams conducted by Vyapam, for selection of medical students and state government employees (including food inspectors, transport constables, police personnel, school teachers, dairy supply officers and forest guards). The exams were taken by around 3.2 million students.

In the major development in the ongoing Vyapam scam, the Supreme Court in February cancelled the admission of more than 500 students, who enrolled in five-year MBBS course in Madhya Pradesh during 2008-2012.

Vyapam scam is also known for deaths.

A number of people connected to the scam and its investigation, died during the course of investigation. The opposition parties and activists alleged that several of these deaths happened under suspicious circumstances. In 2015, the Special Task Force (STF) submitted a list to High Court, naming 23 people who are believed to have died "unnatural death".

According to the STF, most of these deaths took place before it took over the investigation in July 2013.