In the midst of the uproar over a series of mysterious deaths in the Vyapam scam, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday agreed for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the scandal that involves thousands of appointments and admissions made by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) over the last 25 years.
Soon after the Chief Minister made this announcement at a Press conference, the State Government moved a petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court (HC) seeking its direction for institution of a CBI probe into the scam.
“We have filed a plea in the HC seeking a CBI probe into the Vyapam scam,” Additional Advocate-General P Kaurav said. This came on a day the Supreme Court (SC) agreed to hear on July 9 several petitions seeking an apex court-monitored probe into the scam and related deaths.
Acknowledging that he was bowing to intense public outrage over the string of deaths of people associated with Vyapam, the Chief Minister said: “loktantra lok lajja se chalta hai (public perception is important in a democracy). Honouring public sentiments, I will request the HC for a CBI probe. Functioning of the Government should be beyond any doubt.”
“I have full respect for both the HC and the SC and have total faith in the ongoing probe into the Vyapam scam,” he told a hurriedly-convened Press conference in Bhopal. Noting that the recent developments in the case demanded fair answers, Chouhan said: “I thought about the matter the whole night...The questions which have been raised need answers. It has become necessary now that the CBI investigates the case.”Asked if he wanted the CBI probe to cover cases of unnatural deaths as well, he said the agency should probe “all aspects.”
Asked to comment on the Congress’ demand for an SC-monitored investigation by the CBI, the Chief Minister said: “I am ready... some friends have moved the honourable SC... HC has monitored it, now let the SC do that, I am ready.”
The Chouhan Government wrote to the HC for a CBI probe a day after Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the Government cannot order such a probe on its own unless the HC, which is monitoring the Special Investigating Team (SIT) probe in the scam, gives suitable direction for it.
However, the Congress has rejected the MP Government’s latest move and insisted that the scam probe must be SC-monitored. “The latest decision of Shivraj to write to the HC for a CBI probe is another attempt to muzzle the truth. The Congress rejects it in toto. For a fair probe and justice to victims, a SC-monitored CBI probe is the answer,” Congress’s communication department chief Randeep Surjewala said in Delhi. The Congress also stuck to its demand for Chouhan’s resignation, saying his departure was important for a neutral probe.
Party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said in New Delhi: “If we want a neutral probe, then the Chief Minister should resign. We want to clarify that if there has to be transparency, then he should not object to an SC-monitored probe.”
Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh criticized the Prime Minister for his silence on the issue. “The Prime Minister remains mum about the country. He only tweets about what is happening in Tunisia, Algeria,” he said. Singh, who has filed a petition in the SC seeking a CBI probe into the scam, said he would request the apex court to monitor the probe on a weekly basis as in case of the 2G scam. “The needle of suspicion points at the Chief Minister,” he added.
The CPI(M) too echoed the Congress’ views and supported an SC-monitored CBI probe. “We hear now that the Chief Minister (is) saying that they are not opposing any CBI enquiry. We are now saying whether they oppose it or not, there should be (a) thorough CBI enquiry supervised by the SC into the sordid affair,” CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said.
The BJP, however, hailed Chouhan’s announcement and hit back at the Congress for playing “politics over deaths” and said a thorough probe will “expose and corner” the Opposition party.
“The BJP was absolutely clear in its intention that we wanted probity of the highest order, we wanted a probe by the highest body and this was articulated by none other than Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also said so,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.
Meanwhile, Chandresh Bhushan, a retired HC judge heading the SIT monitoring the ongoing investigation into the scam by MP police’s Special Task Force (STF), said the Vyapam deaths were “not mysterious” but “abnormal”.
“As of today, nothing has been brought forth by the STF that these deaths are related to the scam,” he said, rubbishing suggestions that the SIT was under pressure from the State’s BJP Government. “We don’t act under pressure,” he said.
In a related development, a police team from Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh arrived at AIIMS on Tuesday with the viscera samples of TV journalist Akshay Singh who died under mysterious circumstances while covering the Vyapam scam.
“A police team reached AIIMS with the viscera samples of TV journalist Akshay Singh late in the afternoon. They are in the process of completing the formalities of handing over the samples to the hospital for further examination to determine the cause of his death,” said Abid Khan, Jhabua district Superintendent of Police.