The Centre has asked the Madhya Pradesh Government to conduct a thorough probe into the death of a TV journalist covering the Vyapam scam. This was conveyed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in a ten-minute telephonic conversation on Sunday evening. Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley also said that the State Government should conduct a “very fair probe” into the death of journalist Akshay Singh, a reporter with Aaj Tak in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua district.
After talks with the Home Minister, the MP Chief Minister agreed to send the viscera samples for a second test at AIIMS. This followed after India Today group had urged the MP Government to send Akshay Singh’s viscera samples to a forensic laboratory outside the State, preferably AIIMS, for a transparent examination. In a statement, the group said that the circumstances surrounding the untimely death of Akshay Singh merit a full, fair and independent enquiry. Akshay’s family members had also made similar demands.
Sources in New Delhi said that the Chief Minister briefed the Home Minister about the incident and the steps being taken to learn the details of the circumstances leading to the death of the journalist. The Home Minister also asked the Chief Minister to ensure the security of all people connected with the case.
TV journalist Singh died soon after having interviewed the parents of Namrata Damor, an accused in the scam, whose body was found near railway tracks in Ujjain district on January 7, 2012.
Singh, 38, who started frothing at the mouth just hours after finishing the interview, was rushed to the civil hospital and later to a private facility, but doctors failed to revive him. He was then taken to another hospital in nearby Dahod in Gujarat, where he was declared brought dead.
Meanwhile, Chouhan has written a letter to the Chairman of the High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Sunday urging him to complete at the earliest, investigations into deaths of individuals involved in the Vyapam scam. He said that it will allay misgivings among the masses and will further improve thetransparency of investigation and fairness.
Chouhan in his letter referred to the death of Akshay Singh and urged the SIT to conduct a detailed enquiry into the causes and circumstances leading to the death of the journalist.
Earlier, at a Press conference in Bhopal, Chouhan said his Government will have no objection if the High Court ordered a probe into the scam by any other agency, including the CBI, as being demanded by the Congress.
In a tweet, Jaitley condoled the “sad and untimely” demise of the journalistand said that his “thoughtsand prayers were with the bereaved family.”
He also said that that a “very fair enquiry” should be conducted to put to rest all doubts over the journalist’s mysterious death.
“Since various issues are being raised with respect to the circumstances of this death, it would be absolutely important that a very fair enquiry is held so that all doubts can be put to rest,” Jaitley said.
Earlier in the day, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attended the last rites of Akshay Singh and met his family members. “Pained to meet the mother, father and sister of Akshay Singh. My prayers are with them in this time of terrible grief: Rahul Gandhi,” said a tweet on his Twitter handle ‘Office of RG’.
Terming the spate of deaths associated with the Vyapam scam as “extremely intriguing and deeply suspicious”, the Congress demanded a Supreme Court monitored CBI investigation into the matter.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister should stop “parroting” his stated position of an STF probe, and instead show courage to recommend a CBI investigation.
Calling the Vyapam episode the “most sinister scam of India”, Surjewala claimed that the mechanism of the SIT-STF combine has proved ineffective in probing the matter. The Congress questioned the reluctance of the BJP Government to a SC-monitored CBI probe.
Referring to the death of Dr Arun Sharma, Dean of NS Medical College of Jabalpur who was found dead in a Delhi hotel, the Congress spokesperson said: “He has become the 45th victim of Vyapam Scam today.” Dr Sharma’s death came within 48 hours of the “sudden and suspicious” death of TV journalist Akshay Singh.