New Delhi: The CBI probing the multi-crore Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh is all set to register five fresh FIRs against certain former senior officials of the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB).
Initiating a fresh probe against former state education minister Laxmikant Sharma cannot be ruled out, sources said, adding that his role is also being probed in some other irregularities pertaining to the scam. Sharma is already accused in several cases, including those pertaining to recruitment of food inspectors, among others.
“The agency is probing the role of former Vyapam officials, including the former minister, in connection with the alleged irregularities committed in Forest Guard Recruitment Test, conducted by Vyapam in 2013. Besides, the agency is also investigating the role of Sharma in connection with alleged illegalities committed in the combined assistant programmer, IT operator, data entry operator and computer operator recruitment tests conducted by Vyapam in 2013”, sources said. He may soon be called for examination again, they said.
Sharma and a former officer on special duty (OSD) to Madhya Pradesh Raj Bhavan are among 20 accused named in an FIR registered by the CBI to probe massive irregularities in recruitment done by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) or ‘Vyapam’. Earlier, Sharma was also examined by the CBI in connection with agency’s probe into the alleged irregularities committed in the State police subedar, sub-inspector and platoon commander recruitment examination conducted by the Vyapam in 2012-13. “CBI investigations have revealed that the Vyapam scam involved collusion among candidates, government officials, state level politicians and middlemen. Undeserving candidates bribed the MPPEB officials through middlemen to be seated strategically next to a brilliant dummy candidate, who was paid money also”, sources said. The Supreme Court on July 9, 2015 had transferred the probe of all cases related to Vyapam scam to the CBI.
