CBI debars 20 officials from Vyapam Investigative Team in one day

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken out 20 officers in a single day from its Vyapam team in Bhopal, despite of more than 50 cases related to Vyapam scam pending.

The Vyapam team was setup in 2016 at Professors’ Colony office in Bhopal, after around 50 people related to the Vyapam scam were killed under suspicious circumstances.

Pivotal assembly polls are scheduled later this year and BJP’s main opposition Congress were quick to jump on the BJP government as their spokesperson KK Mishra said, “The Congress had demanded a CBI inquiry into Vyapam scam with a lot of hope, but it ended up giving a clean chit to many of those who controlled the scam. I think they should close this branch.”

The CBI, for its part, said that the recent withdrawal of 20 officers will not impact the pending cases in Vyapam scam. One CBI officer was quoted by Times of India as saying, “In more than 100 cases, people have been charge-sheeted and trials are on. Some officials will be transferred as a matter of routine. There’s no reason to shut down the branch.”

Comptroller and Auditor General, released a statement in 2017, criticising the state government which was under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the Vyapam scam. The CAG had passed constraints against the Madhya Pradesh government.

The scam is related to irregularities in job recruitments and entrance exams by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, known by its Hindi name Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal, or Vyapam.