Vyapam key accused influenced departmental probe: RTI

Pankaj Trivedi, the former controller of examinations and director Vyapam, gave a clean chit to Sandhya Srivastava, a former finance officer of Vyapam who was accused of negligence in carrying out financial duties and irregularities between 2006-09, revealed an RTI reply.

Financial irregularities of more than Rs.4 crore were revealed just in the sale of application forms and examination fees for 14 entrance examinations conducted by Vyapam in 2006-07 when the same officer was there.

The RTI reply received by Ajay Dubey in May 2015 revealed that Sandhya who was accused of financial irregularities between 2006-09, was given a clean chit in May 2012 by the then chairman of Vyapam, Ranjana Chaudhury, on the recommendation of Trivedi, a prime accused in the multi-crore scam.

A document accessed by IANS showed that Trivedi had recommended to the chairman of the board that Srivastava should be given a clean chit.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently registered an FIR against Trivedi for cheating, criminal conspiracy and under the IT Act, Prevention of Corruption Act and the Madhya Pradesh Recognised Examination Act.

The executive committee of Vyapam initiated a departmental enquiry against the finance officer in June 2009 on the basis of the 2007-08 internal audit of Vyapam.

The charges against the officer were negligence in discharging financial responsibilities, irregularities in reconciliation process (failure to keep records of advance given to examination centres), and irregularities in reconciliation process of Vyapam's bank accounts.

"All the charges against the officer were revoked on the recommendation of Pankaj Trivedi and she was given a clean chit. If one of the prime accused in the Vyapam scam gives a clean chit to an officer then the entire inquiry is questionable," RTI activist Dubey told IANS.

The CBI on Thursday registered its 18th FIR in connection with its ongoing probe into the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh.

The first information report (FIR) was registered against 64 people connected to the alleged illegalities committed in the police constable recruitment examination conducted by Vyapam in 2013.

The FIR was registered on charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy and under the IT Act, Prevention of Corruption Act and the Madhya Pradesh Recognised Examination Act.