CBI arrests middleman involved in six Vyapam cases

The CBI has arrested an absconding middleman, involved in six cases related to the Vyapam admission and recruitment scam, an official said on Tuesday.

Dilip Gupta was arrested on Monday after he surrendered before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigators in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal, the official said.

The CBI said Gupta was involved in six cases of Vyapam -- Forest Guard Recruitment Test-2013, Food and Measurement Recruitment Test-2012, Pre-Medical Test (PMT)-2012, Police Constable Recruitment Test-2012 and Madhya Pradesh Dairy Federation Co-operative Ltd Recruitment Test-2013.

Investigators of the central probe agency said Gupta was allegedly figuring as middleman in six cases pertaining to illegal selection of candidates through manipulations of Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets and results in conspiracy with certain Vyapam officials and others.

"He allegedly arranged various candidates and scorers for illegal selection through examinations conducted by Vyapam for racketeers who got the candidates selected in connivance with Vyapam officials through manipulation of result and OMR answer sheets and roll numbers," the CBI official said.

A special CBI judge in Bhopal had issued an arrest warrant against Gupta, who had been on the run since the investigation in the case was started by the police.

The scam pertains to rigging of entrance examinations conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (popularly known by its Hindi acronym 'Vyapam'), involving politicians, senior officials and businessmen in the state.

The CBI took over the investigation of the Vyapam cases following July 9, 2015, orders of Supreme Court and has registered over 170 FIRs till date.

The scam that has been going on for years came to light only in 2013. More than 50 people, including a TV channel reporter, have died during the course of investigation. Many are suspicious deaths.

--IANS

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