Noose tightens on ex-minister in Vyapam scam case
New Delhi: Trouble seems to be mounting for former Madhya Pradesh education minister Laxmikant Sharma with the CBI preparing to examine him in two registered by the agency in the Vyapam scam. Mr Sharma is already an accused in seven cases, including those pertaining to recruitment of food inspectors, among others.
Sources said, “The agency wants certain clarifications from the former minister in connection with the alleged irregularities committed in forest guard recruitment test, conducted under Vyapam in 2013. Besides, CBI sleuths also want his clarification in the alleged illegalities committed in the combined assistant programmer, it operator, data entry operator and computer operator recruitment test conducted by Vyapam in 2013”. He may soon be called for examination again, they added.
“Investigations by the CBI have revealed that the Vyapam scam involved collusion among candidates, government officials and middlemen. Undeserving candidates bribed the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) or ‘Vyapam’ officials through middlemen to be seated strategically next to a brilliant dummy candidate, who was also paid money. The dummy candidate let them copy from his sheet or exchanged the sheet at the end of the exam”, sources said.
The Supreme Court on July 9, 2015 had transferred the probe of all cases related to Vyapam scam to the CBI. Vyapam is a government body responsible for conducting several entrance tests in Madhya Pradesh.