THE VYAPAM SCAM


Author: Monica R, Sastra Deemed University


ABSTRACT


The “Vyapam Scam,” which first surfaced in Madhya Pradesh ten years ago, made headlines throughout the world, particularly due to the unexplained fatalities that occurred during the investigations. In addition to harming the state’s reputation, the fraud involving forgery, cheating, bribery, abuse of government office, and many other things exposed a deep and complex relationship between politicians, bureaucrats, and outsiders that has destroyed the future for thousands of Madhya Pradesh youths.


INTRODUCTION


Following the arrest of 20 individuals by the Indore police for posing as applicants taking a professional test, the Vyapam scam came to light in 2013. Due to the extent of irregularities inside the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB), also known by its Hindi abbreviation “Vyapam,” one of India’s largest frauds was exposed by the arrests. Since the scheme was discovered, over 25 witnesses and whistleblowers have died, however unverified accounts place the death toll at 41. Witnesses and other accused claim they have been threatened with death. Following a 2015 Supreme Court order, the matter was moved from the Madhya Pradesh special task team to the CBI.
WHAT IS VYAPAM
The independent, self-funded Vyapam was established in Madhya Pradesh to provide tests for government jobs and professional exams. On average, the organization administers 21 tests annually. 
An organization reportedly corrupted exams for recruitment and entrance to a variety of government posts and courses as part of the fraud. According to police, between 2012 and 2013, suspects used imposters to compose test papers, reorganize exam room seating, and even provide counterfeit response sheets by buying off authorities.
INVESTIGATION
This inquiry was turned up to the state police’s Special Task Force (STF). Following a vigorous opposition campaign against the state administration for supposedly being tardy in the inquiry, the high court immediately oversaw the STF’s investigation through a Special Investigating Team. To look into frauds in various examinations, several charges have been filed. About 1,800 accused persons had been apprehended, and the SIT informed the Supreme Court in March 2015 that it was still searching for an additional 800.
The Attorney General for India informed the Supreme Court on July 9, 2015, that the State of Madhya Pradesh had no objections at all to the transfer of the investigation to the CBI and the case is transferred to CBI.
In connection with the fraud, almost 2000 persons have been taken into custody. The Central Forensic Science Laboratory analyzed the accused people’s handwriting and signatures as part of the CBI inquiry. According to the CFSL expert opinion, Ashutosh Gupta, the accused candidate, did not show up for the aforementioned test that Vyapam administered in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, on April 12, 2009.
He was working as a staff in Primary Health Centre Kariyawati, Gwalior and he was working there for full day. According to the inquiry, Ashutosh Gupta had been in touch with intermediary Pankaj Gupta, who, in return for a sizeable payment, set up a solution for him. Intermediary has been paid heavy amount by Ashutosh Gupta.
GOVERNOR
Evidence against Governor Ram Naresh Yadav was discovered by the STF. He is accused of making malpractices in forest officer exams. In March 2015, his son Shailesh was discovered deceased under suspicious circumstances after being implicated in the hiring of contractual instructors. The Governor petitioned the High Court, claiming that as he is protected by the Indian Constitution while in office, no criminal charges could be brought against him. In agreement, the High Court postponed his detention but mandated that the investigations against him continue. The SIT head stated that once Yadav retires in September, 2016 the investigators will take action against him.
CHIEF MINISTER
Digvijaya Singh, a politician of the Indian National Congress, said he was being targeted as a whistleblower for revealing Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s involvement in the scandal. He claimed that the Excel sheet that was obtained from the hard drive of the computer belonging to fraud suspect Nitin Mohindra had been altered by the investigating authorities. The names of the applicants, their roll numbers, and the names of their recommenders were all kept on file by Mohindra. The information in this document led to the arrest of hundreds of people. According to him, excel sheet documents are altered from the original documents.
After then, Digvijaya Singh told the SIT in a 15-page affidavit that the investigators were protecting the Chief Minister. Singh’s accusation was taken seriously by SIT, which forwarded both Excel sheet versions for forensic examination. According to the forensic lab, Pandey’s Excel sheet was a fake, but the one that came with STF was authentic. Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed the document has as fake.
WHISTLE BLOWERS
Ashish Chaturvedi
Ashish Chaturvedi filed a complaint against the Chief minister and his family members. Additionally, Chaturvedi had asked the CBI to look into the admissions of 5,000 physicians to all state colleges’ MBBS and PG programs between 2003 and 2013. A plot to kidnap him was one of three attacks on his life. He has claimed that despite complaining of threats against his life, the police failed to provide him with proper protection. According to reports, the police threatened to keep him locked in his house or demand ₹ 50,000 in exchange for safety.
RaiAnand
This case came into limelight by Public Interest Litigation filed by the a whistle blower Raj Anand.  In addition to claiming that contract murderers were hired to murder him, he has reported getting frequent threat calls. He went to the court in 2013 to ask for security cover. Despite earning barely ₹38,000 a month, he was instructed to pay ₹50,000 for police protection. He was given a security guard in 2015. He filed the case against the politicians and bureaucrats. It was claimed in the lawsuit that Vikram Verma relocated his daughter from Ghaziabad to Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal by using his connections.
DEATHS
During the course of the inquiry, several individuals involved in the fraud and its investigation passed away. A number of these fatalities, according to activists and opposition groups, occurred under questionable circumstances. 23 individuals who are thought to have died of “unnatural death” were listed by the Special Task Force (STF) and presented before the Jabalpur High Court in 2015. The majority of these deaths occurred prior to the STF taking over the probe in July 2013, the agency said. According to certain media accounts, more than 40 scam participants passed away inexplicably. The State Government denied the accusations, claiming that thousands of applicants are accepted or hired each year as a result of Vyapam’s extensive testing.
The High-Court Special probe Team (SIT) reports that since the probe began in 2012, 32 individuals in the 25–30 age range who were identified as “racketeers” throughout the investigation had passed away under mysterious circumstances. The detained individuals were citing deceased persons in an attempt to deceive the investigation, according to the SIT officers.
JUDGEMENT
Due to their involvement in the Vyapam case, which is now known as the Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (MPESB) case, which began ten years ago, eleven people were sentenced to seven years of jail and fined Rs 10,000 apiece by a special CBI court in Bhopal. In accordance with IPC sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120 B, and other provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Recognized Education (MPRE) Act, Judge Nitiraj Singh Sisodiya found 11 persons guilty.


CONCLUSION


Wide-ranging effects of the Vyapam fraud included damaged reputations, a decline in confidence in the hiring and educational processes, and an effect on the professional paths of sincere applicants. Madhya Pradesh’s hiring and testing procedures underwent a major revision as a result of the Vyapam scandal. Steps were done to improve the system’s general integrity, increase openness, and include online exams. It acted as a wake-up call for changes and more scrutiny in India’s hiring and testing procedures.

FAQS


1. What is Vyapam?
Vyapam, the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB), is an autonomous body established by the Madhya Pradesh government to conduct recruitment exams and professional tests for government jobs and admissions to various educational programs in the state.


2. What was the Vyapam scam?
The Vyapam scam involved widespread corruption in the administration of government exams. It was a large-scale recruitment fraud in which impersonators, rigged exam papers, bribed officials, and manipulated the process to help candidates cheat in exams for government jobs and college admissions, particularly between 2012 and 2013.


3. How did the Vyapam scam break open?
The scam came to light in 2013 when 20 individuals were arrested for posing as applicants in a professional exam. Investigations revealed the scale of corruption within the Vyapam system, leading to further arrests and the discovery of a larger network of fraud.


4. Why were witnesses and whistleblowers targeted?
Several whistleblowers, activists, and individuals who were attempting to expose the scam reported receiving threats to their lives. Some activists even claimed that there were attempts on their lives, with allegations that contract killers were hired to silence them.


5. How did the Vyapam scam affect the political landscape?
It led to a significant political controversy, with opposition parties accusing the state government of being complicit in the fraud and attempting to cover up the scandal.


SOURCES
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/17/the-mystery-of-indias-deadly-exam-scam

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *