A batch of almost 634 medical students from Madhya Pradesh facing the charge of using illegal means in the Vyapam scam were in for a shock on Thursday as the Supreme Court judge decided to give them relief from further prosecution on the condition that they put in five years of practice in the Indian Armed Forces prior to getting their medical degrees.
Fortunately, for the students, the judgment could not be implemented as the other judge sitting on the Bench penned his dissent and wrote a separate judgment justifying action against the prospective doctors. Due to the divergence of views, the matter got referred to the Chief Justice of India who will have to constitute another bench to decide the issue altogether again.
The 634 affected students had appeared in the pre-medical test conducted by the State’s professional examination board called VYAPAM between 2008 and 2012. The State cancelled the PMT results of these years following claims by the investigating agency that unfair means were employed by these candidates to secure admission.
Since it concerned the future of these students, many of whom had even taken up medical practice, Justice J Chelameswar said, “I would prefer to permit the appellants to complete their study of medicine and become trained doctors to serve the nation. But at the same time there is a compelling national interest…Society must receive some compensation from the wrongdoers.”
Carving out a suitable punishment, the judge said, “I would prefer them serving the Indian Armed Forces subject to such conditions and disciplines to which the armed forces normally subject their regular medical corps….the appellants be handed over the certificates of their medical degrees only after they complete the five years.”