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OPINIONEDITORIAL

Published:July4,201501:05IST|Updated:July4,201502:54IST
July4,2015

TheVyapamscamtrail
TheVyapamscaminMadhyaPradeshdatesbackto2007,withinvestigationsinthecasestartingaftersomedetailscametolightin2013.
OfficersoftheMadhyaPradeshProfessionalExaminationBoard(VyavsayikPareekshaMandal,orVyapam)werefoundtohavebeenrigging
avarietyofeligibilitytestsforcoursesandrecruitmentsforclosetosixyears,perhapsforanevenlongerperiod.Theseincludedtestsfor
medicalentrance,andforthoseaspiringforgovernmentemploymentaspoliceconstables,teachers,bankingofficialsandsoon.Over
Rs.2,000croreisbelievedtohavebeenexchangedasbribes.TheStatepolicehavearrestedsome2,000people,andarelookingforabout700
more.Thoseallegedlyinvolvedincludepoliticiansandbureaucratsacrosstheboard,aswellastheofficeofGovernorRamNareshYadav.The
scaleofthescandalwasshockingenoughbutitlargelyescapednationalattentionuntilrecentreportsbroughttolightaparticularly
disturbingsetofdevelopmentsmorethan40oftheaccusedpersonsorwitnessesinthecasehavedied,accordingtomediareports.The
StategovernmentsSpecialInvestigationTeamrecentlyadmittedbeforetheMadhyaPradeshHighCourtthat23ofthesewereunnatural
deaths.Manyofthedeadwerebetweentheageof25and30,androadaccidentswerecitedastheleadingcauseofdeath.Itallpointsto
seriousandpersistingfoulplay.
ThefactsindicatesignificantlapsesonthepartoftheStategovernment.Tobeginwith,thecaseisbeinginvestigatedbyaspecialtaskforce
thatanswersdirectlytoChiefMinisterShivrajSinghChouhananditseemstohavenoanswersforthespateofsuspiciousdeaths.Worse
still,Stategovernmentofficialshaveappearedcallousintheirresponsesandhaveattemptedtojustshrugoffthematter.StateHomeMinister
BabulalGaurattributedthedeathstonaturalcauses,addingthatwhoeverisbornhastodieoneday.Earlierthisyear,ChiefMinister
ChouhanclaimedinalettertoCongresspresidentSoniaGandhithatthedevelopmentsregardingtheVyapamscamprovidedproofofhis
honestyashewastheonewhoorderedaprobeintoit.Thatclaimnolongerholdswater.Mr.Chouhan,whosereputationforgoodandclean
governancehasbeendamagedbythescam,shouldnowactproactivelytorecommendanindependentprobe.Alternatively,theCentral
governmentshouldstepinandhandoverthecasetotheCentralBureauofInvestigation,beforesomeoneensuresthatisdoneby
approachingtheSupremeCourt.ThatwouldbehugelyembarrassingfortheBJPgovernment,whichhasalreadylostalotofitsmoralsheen.
Printableversion|Jul7,20156:54:46PM|http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/thevyapamscamtrail/article7383720.ece
TheHindu