Vyapam scam: CBI sets up medical board

The CBI, probing the mysterious deaths linked to the multi-crore Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, has set up “medical boards” to analyse conflicting opinions pertaining to the deaths of MBBS student Namrata Damor in 2012 and television journalist Akshay Singh in 2015. The boards, comprising medical and forensic experts, will conclude whether both the deaths were natural or was there any foul play.

Sources said the boards will also examine whether the autopsies done on the victims were in accordance with the correct procedure. The CBI has already provided all medical reports pertaining to both the deaths to the medical boards, they added. The agency sleuths are also examining documents pertaining to the inquest proceedings carried out by the state police in both the cases. Akshay died under mysterious circumstances while covering the Vyapam scam involving Jhabua-based MBBS student Namrata Damor, who was found dead after her name figured in the scam.

Sources further said certain specific medical reports of Singh will be sent to the board to ascertain if it was any medical pre-condition which might have led to his sudden death. Singh, who was probing the story of Damor, whose body was found on a rail track in Ujjain triggering speculation of foul play in her death as she was allegedly a beneficiary of the irregularities in the conduct of Vyapam scam, collapsed at her house after interviewing her parents. He was among over 35 people linked directly or indirectly with the scam who were found dead in mysterious circumstances over a period of time.

Sources said that the agency is probing all the angles related to the mysterious death and in Singh’s case, a preliminary enquiry has already been initiated by it.

Damor’s father, Mr Mehtab Singh Damor, had said Akshay and two others visited their house in Jhabua district in MP on July 4, 2015 afternoon.

After the interview was over, someone was sent to get some papers photocopied. As Akshay was waiting outside Damor’s house, suddenly he started frothing at the mouth. He was rushed to the civil hospital and later to a private hospital, but doctors failed to revive him. From there he was taken to another hospital in nearby Dahod in Gujarat, where he was declared brought dead.

As far as the mysterious death of Damor is concerned, sources said, “The state police had initially filed a case of murder, but while filing a closure report in 2014, termed it a suicide. They (cops) decided to file closure report in the case on the basis of a forensic report, filed two months after the autopsy. The forensic report had concluded that Namrata’s injuries were more consistent with a fall on the train track rather than smothering or asphyxiation”, sources said.