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Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said he would meet UPA supremo Sonia Gandhi to find out if she had permitted Digvijaya Singh and other senior leaders to make 'baseless' allegations against him in the multi-crore entrance exam scam.
After implicating him in the scam, senior Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh, Kamal Nath and others, including two noted lawyers, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi few days back to apprise him of Chouhan's alleged involvement in the case.
“I am in deep pain, as senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and others made baseless allegations against me. Since the SIT has submitted a report in this case and found the excel sheet is forged, I would write to Mrs Gandhi to apprise her of behaviour unbecoming of someone (Digvijaya Singh) who was chief minister of the state twice.”
Chouhan further said he also wanted to find out if Mrs Gandhi had given her consent to these leaders to make such “low-level baseless allegations” without having any facts against him. He however did not clarify if he would take any legal action against Digvijaya Singh for such allegations against him and his family but said, “I have full faith in juidiciary.”
“I will seek an appointment from her and learn from her if she knew that Digvijaya Singh and other Congress leaders forged the documents to mislead the investigating agency,” Chouhan said, alleging that Digvijaya Singh and other Congress leaders had their own people among accused in the case. “They wanted to delay the process so that few of the accused in the case could take benefit of doubt. But I have full faith in law of the land.”
The Jabalpur High Court noticed on 24th of April that the SIT (special investigation team) has recorded its prima facie opinion that the contents of ‘pen drive/documents’ appears to be forged and has been done with intent to mislead the Agency investigating (Special Task Force) the crime (No.539/2013) registered with Police Station Rajendra Nagar, Indore.
Through an impromptu press conference, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia and two noted lawyers Vivek Tankha and KTS Tulsi had earlier this year raised questions under afedavit over the investigation of scandal also known as Vyapam scam in which ineligible candidates obtained admissions in professional colleges by rigging the entrance exam process conducted by MP Professional Board Exam (Vyapam) in lieu of money.
They had produced documents (an excel sheet) which had allegedly carried ‘CM’ at 42 places against names of successful candidates. These candidates allegedly rigged the process of entrance examination to get through and obtained jobs.
State governor Ram Naresh Yadav, his son Shailesh Yadav and an officer on special duty Dhanraj Yadav were also figured in separate FIRs in the case.
The governor moved the High Court and had been granted interim relief of stay on the FIR by the high court, her son found dead at the Governor’s official residence in Lucknow last month before the investigation agency could interrogate him.The High court had constituted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to monitor Special Task Force (STF) which is investigating the scam.
Digvijaya Singh and other congress leaders had raised questions over the investigation agency STF that it was not competent enough as it was functioning under a government which is led by the chief minister, who is allegedly involved in the scam.“How can STF fairly investigate the scam, particularly against the chief minister, if it is functioning under a government led by the chief minister himself?”
Digvijaya Singh had said. The other day Singh had told the STF officials that he had obtained copy of excel sheet from cyber expert Prashant Pandey whom the state police engaged in helping investigation. Later Pandey moved to Delhi high court on security reasons.
He submitted excel sheet and pen drive to Delhi High Court. While Digvijaya Singh Submitted the similar excel sheet (to establish alleged involvement of the CM) to SIT separately. Chouhan had admitted in state assembly earlier this year that as many as 1000 persons obtained jobs by unfair means. "Actions are being taken against them," Chouhan said.
