Vyapam Whistleblower Demands CBI Probe Into ‘Prison Guard Exam Scam’

Bhopal: One of the Vyapam scam whistleblowers on Friday asked for a CBI probe following the arrest of imposters during a prison guard exam at a city engineering college.

“On the lines of the movie Lage Raho Munna Bhai, this scam is also a sequel i.e. Vyapam II,” said Ajay Dubey, secretary of NGO Prayatna and one of the Vyapam whistleblowers.

Dubey said the developments has exposed the tall claims of Madhya Pradesh government regarding a foolproof system of conducting exams and sought CBI probe into the latest goof up.

According to reports, five people were held on July 19 posing as candidates for the prison guard exams.

However, Bilkhiria Police Station SHO Rajesh Sinha said that CBI had nabbed Ritesh Tyagi, one of the Vyapam accused near SAM College with a candidate in the said exam, Anil Kumar.

According to police, Mukesh Kumar, a Haryana resident, was taking the exam in place of Anil and was arrested later. Mukesh confessed to police of having appeared in place of two other candidates for the same exam at other centres.

After recommendation of a committee comprising seven IAS officers including CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s secretaries –Hariranjan Rao and Ashok Varnawal, Vyapam exams were outsourced to UST Global which carried it out in coordination with MP Online –a state government entity.

Dubey said the arrests clearly indicates that the agency has failed miserably. “The committee recommended full-time chairman and director at Vyapam for better transparency and monitoring. The chairman (full-time) never got appointed while director was transferred recently,” he said.

Other recommendations of the committee, including third party audit, review of Vyapam exam pattern, action into irregular payments of Rs 45 lakh to ‘volunteers’ (daily wagers), appointment of government officers on deputation, appointment of volunteers through proper agency and so on, too are gathering dust, alleged that RTI activist.

Explaining modus operandi of the imposters arrested recently, Dubey claimed that the genuine candidate enters exam centre with hologram pasted admit card and offers thumb impression in biometric machine and furnishes ID card. “In second session of exam, the candidate goes out and imposter comes back in his place,” he said.

He also lashed at CBI for minimal action in their probe saying no big fish was arrested till now.