Vyapam scam deaths suggest 'insidious forces' at work: Editors

The Editors Guild of India today expressed shock over the "mysterious" demise of TV scribe Akshay Singh while covering the Vyapam scam and said that the spate of deaths connected with the affair speaks of "insidious forces at work".
"The Editors Guild of India is shocked by the mysterious death of Akshay Singh of the India Today group who was investigating the Vyapam Scam in Madhya Pradesh and offers its deep condolences to his family," the President of the body, N Ravi, said in a statement here.
"That he (Singh) should join the 40-plus people connected with the scam who have lost their lives speaks of the insidious forces at work and the state of law and order in the state.

"The state police has so far proved unequal to the task of either investigating the scam or safeguarding critical witnesses and others connected with it," the statement added.
Bowing to public outcry, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said he will request the High Court to order a CBI probe into the Vyapam case, including the large number of deaths of people allegedly linked to the scam.
Ravi, meanwhile, also said that Singh's death has come as a "chilling reminder" of the dangers faced by journalists investigating high-profile scams.
"The Editors Guild of India demands a CBI enquiry into the death, which has come as a chilling reminder of the dangers faced by journalists investigating high-profile scams," the statement added.