SC to hear on July 20 CBI plea in Vyapam case

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear on Monday the plea of CBI that Special Investigation Team (SIT) be allowed to file charge sheets in the Vyapam scam cases in which the investigation is over.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice H l Dattu, fixed the plea of the probe agency for hearing on July 20 and asked CBI to serve the copy of the application to the parties concerned.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh, appearing for CBI, said that the transfer of more than 185 Vyapam scam cases from SIT to CBI will take time and the state investigating agency be allowed to file charge sheets in the cases in which the probe is complete.

"Otherwise, the accused will get statutory bail on account of default of non-filing of charge sheets within stipulated time period," the ASG said.

On July 9, the Supreme Court had ordered transfer of the probe into all Vyapam scam cases and the deaths allegedly linked to it to CBI.

The apex court had passed the order while hearing a batch of petitions, including the one filed by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh seeking apex court-monitored CBI probe into all cases arising out of the Vyapam scam.

While passing the order, the apex court had also taken on record the submission of the Madhya Pradesh government that it had no objection on transferring the investigation of cases relating to Vyapam scam to CBI.

Congress has alleged that around 49 persons linked to the Vyapam scam have died under mysterious circumstances, a charge refuted by the state government. The official figure is around 25 which the state government says includes suicides, accidents and some other unnatural deaths.

The multi-crore rupee professional examination scam involves several high-profile professionals, politicians and bureaucrats as accused.

The alleged scam involves MPPEB, which holds examinations for various posts such as that of teachers, medical officers, constables and forest guards.