SC orders CBI to probe Vyapam scam, deaths

The CBI will investigate the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh and more than 30 deaths allegedly linked to the scandal, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. Accepting the MP Government’s offer to order a probe by the premier investigating agency into the twin aspects, the SC directed the CBI to take over all cases related to irregularities in the recruitment and admission to colleges conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (Vyapam) from a Special Task Force of the MP Police under the monitoring of the MP High Court. 

For the petitioners including senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh and two whistleblowers in the scam, senior advocate Kapil Sibal alleged that the who’s who of Madhya Pradesh are involved in the scam. And in view of the deaths occurring every day, his faith in the High Court monitoring was lost. While s

eeking a CBI probe, Sibal pressed for monitoring of the probe by the SC. 

The Court issued notice to the CBI and posted the matter on July 24 when it will decide the monitoring aspect.Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Madhya Pradesh, informed the SC Bench that the State had already moved an application for the CBI probe in the MP High Court. It was taken up on Wednesday but deferred to await the apex court’s response on the issue. He submitted that either this Court or the HC could order the CBI probe as the State had nothing to hide.

The apex bench, headed by Chief Justice Hl Dattu, “appreciated” the State Government’s stand but could not understand why a similar order was not passed by the HC. “The High Court simply washed its hands off and instead of doing it (ordering a CBI probe) on its own, it has put the ball in our court,” observed the Bench, also comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy.

On the aspect of monitoring, the Bench told AG, “The request of the petitioners is that the probe should be monitored by the SC and not left to HC.” Rohatgi replied that it is for the CBI to respond as the State’s role in the matter has come to an end.The HC was monitoring the probe by the STF since 2013. With the CBI coming into picture, CJI Dattu said, “Once we order the CBI to probe, will the High Court continue to monitor, obviously not.” 

Sibal also represented a whistleblower in the scam Ashish Chaturvedi. He wanted to expand the CBI probe into irregularities in admissions made to private colleges in Madhya Pradesh where seats were allocated to sons and daughters of high profile ministers, bureaucrats and judges in the State. Rohatgi told the Court that the matter was independent of Vyapam scam and should not be clubbed with the cases handed over to the CBI. The bench refused to issue notice on the petition but posted it for hearing after four weeks.