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A 25-year-old woman trainee sub-inspector, who had got into the police force through an exam conducted by Vyapam, was found dead today in a lake in Sagar district. Over 40 people with direct or indirect links to the Vyapam scam of Madhya Pradesh have died until now. But Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan rejected demands of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Vyapam scam unless its ordered by the courts . On Sunday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had called for a "fair probe" into the scam.
In a significant development, the Supreme Court today agreed to hear a petition seeking removal of Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav for his alleged involvement in the scam. But Chouhan’s cabinet colleagues in Bhopal continued to claim how none of the recent deaths had any links to the Vyapam scam and blamed the Congress for politicising it. The issue is set to rock the Monsoon session of Parliament that starts on July 21. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata that her party would raise the issue during the session. She also demanded a Supreme Court monitored probe.
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- Vyapam scam: Shivraj Singh Chouhan to request MP HC to order CBI probe in scam
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The body of Anamika Sikwarwar, the trainee sub-inspector, was found in the lake adjacent to the police training academy today morning. Sikarwar, a resident of Morena, had joined the police force after passing an exam conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, better known by its Hindi acronym VYAPAM or Vyavasayik Pareeksha Mandal. Police sources said no suicide note was found.
Sikarwar is one of the over 40 people associated directly or indirectly with Vyapam to have died in recent years. Journalist Akshay Singh (38), who was investigating the scam, had died in Jhabua on Saturday. He was investigating the death of Namrata Damor, whose body was found on the railway tracks in Ujjain in January 2012. Arun Sharma, dean of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur, who was assisting the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Special Task Force (STF), was found dead at a hotel in Delhi on Sunday. The Delhi Police today said that preliminary investigation into Sharma's death does not suggest any foul play.
In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh CM Chouhan said that a CBI probe wasn’t needed into the scam since the Supreme Court as well as the Bhopal High Court have rejected such public interest litigations in the past. The High Court appointed SIT, along with the state police's STF is currently investigating the case. "If the Supreme Court or the High Court feels that the probe is not perfect to the extent it should be, then it will give directions and the government will immediately accept it and hand over the matter to the CBI," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention and a thorough probe into the matter, while Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas filed a petition urging the Supreme Court to take cognisance of the scam. Chandresh Bhushan, head of a special investigation team (SIT) in the matter, said the deaths were a “grave concern” and asked the police to file a report on these deaths in seven days.
Union minister Uma Bharti said there was “panic” in Madhya Pradesh, adding she suspected a “big conspiracy” and feared for the lives of her known ones.
Meanwhile, a bench comprising Chief Justice HL Dattu and Justices Arun Kumar Mishra and Amitava Roy said it will hear the petition related to Vyapam scam on July 9. The petition, filed by a group of lawyers, has sought removal of Madhya Pradesh Governor and recording of his statement for his alleged involvement in the scam. Yadav, who was earlier named in a First Information Report (FIR), has not been investigated given his constitutional immunity despite the trail leading up to the Bhopal Raj Bhavan. Yadav, whose son Shailesh (50) was an accused in the case and died in Lucknow in March under mysterious circumstances, is a rare UPA era occupant of a Raj Bhavan not to have been transferred or given marching orders by the National Democratic Alliance government.
Congress continued to keep up the pressure. It termed Chouhan as the kingpin of the scam, demanded his resignation and also slammed BJP leader Kailash Vijaywargiya for his insensitive remarks on the death of journalist Akshay Singh. "Patrakar vatrakar chhodo, aaj hum se bada patrakar hai kya? (Forget the journalist. Is there any bigger journalist than me today?)," Vijaywargiya told reporters when they raised the issue of Akshay's death two days back. Today, Vijaywargiya accused the media for spreading misinformation and taking his comments out of context. The state government has decided to send journalist Akshay Singh’s viscera sample to New Delhi’s AIIMS after a request by his sister. Vyapam scam whistleblower Ashish Chaturvedi claimed he was receiving threats and demanded police protection.
