News

I yielded to people's wishes : Chouhan on CBI probe in Vyapam scam

by IBNS 08 Jul 2015, 07:09 am

Bhopal, Jul 8 (IBNS) Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who faces a strong demand for his removal has admitted that he has "yielded to the wishes of the people" by asking the CBI to investigate the Vyapam scam.

"A democracy functions on the voice of the people," , who won his third consecutive term in 2013, told NDTV.

Chouhan had announced on Tuesday that he will write to the High Court for a CBI probe in the scam.

 "The incidents of the last few days have disturbed me," he said, referring to the opposition's allegations that the recent deaths of those linked to the scam are part of a brutal cover-up. 

"I have asked for the CBI to examine the deaths as well, but don't link every death to the investigation," he said.

The Vyapam scam involves a racket indulging in a corrupty system where imposters or fake candidates took qualifying exams for highly-prized admissions to state-run colleges and government jobs. 

Strangely, more than 45 people-all lnked to the Vyapam scam in one way or the other have died premature deaths-several of them under mysterious circumstances. 

 On Saturday, a journalist reporting on the Vyapam scam died suddenly. The next day, the dean of a medical college linked to the scam was found dead.
 
The parade of weird deaths has made Vyapam a big issue even beyond the state's boundary, giving strength to the demand of Chouhan's resignation and CBI probe.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is among four people whose appeal for a CBI inquiry will be heard on Thursday by the Supreme Court.


"This is not a crisis for me," said Mr Chouhan to NDTV. "There hasn't been a more widespread investigation than the one held for the Vyapam scam," he claimed.