With the FIR registered against former Technical Education Minister laxmikant Sharma, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in his third term has clearly indicated that nobody would be spared for corruption or irregularity.
Notably, the investigation in the irregularities in examinations conducted by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) had commenced by the Special Task Force (STF) of Madhya Pradesh police, only on the initiative by the Chief Minister. The STF officials had in advance briefed Chouhan about the direction of the investigation, but despite knowing facts that senior leaders are involved in the fraud, he gave a freehand to the STF for taking action.
Official sources claimed that before the Assembly elections, it had come to the fore that BJP's leader and mining baron Sudhir Sharma was involved in the scam, but the FIR was delayed as polling was scheduled on November 25. After having lost from his Sironj Assembly constituency, Sharma had recently met Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at his bungalow and Chouhan had clearly told him that even he would not be spared, as his name has figured in the STF's investigation.
This was a major setback to Sharma and since then he did not turn up in Bhopal. He learnt to have left for Sironj then and at present in New Delhi. However, after the STF has formally registered an FIR against Sharma, his arrest is expected anytime, because the police are searching for him. The only option left for Sharma is that he should apply for anticipatory bail in Bhopal district or Jabalpur High Court.
Besides Sharma, police are also on the lookout for Sharma's OSD OP Shukla, Congress leader Sanjeev Saxena, Governor's OSD Dheeraj Singh Yadav and several others. The names of 129 others have been included in the fresh FIR registered against Sharma, in connection with irregularities in the examination for the recruitment of Grade II and III Contractual Teachers conducted by MPPEB.
After investigations, they may be summoned for questioning, STF sources said. The STF has submitted the copy of FIRs in the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Pankaj Singh Maheshwari's court in the state capital. The FIRs were registered earlier this month against a total of 130 persons including the former Minister, concerned officers and candidates who have appeared in the examination allegedly in connivance with MPPEB officials.
The matter came to light when the STF was analysing data from the hard disk seized from the computer of MPPEB's Principal System Analyst, Nitin Mahindra, who was earlier arrested by STF in connection with the Pre-Medical Test (PMT) scam alongwith Examination Controller Pankaj Trivedi.
The hard disk, seized by the STF was later sent to Gujarat based Central Forensic Sciences laboratory (CFSl) where the data related to various exams including contractual teachers' appointment was recovered, sources said. The data has roll numbers of candidates who cleared the examination in connivance with those named in the FIR.