Vyapam Scam Update: ED notice to Five Medical Colleges, Bail granted to 9 former officials

On the other hand, ED, which is investigating the money laundering angle, has issued notice to five private medical colleges that allegedly admitted around 200 MBBS students illegally in exchange of money. ED has asked them to submit relevant documents.

The agency has also attached the properties of one private medical college at Indore and the process for attaching assets of other colleges is on, adds TOI.

The scam in Vyapam or Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board broke out in 2013, wherein candidates had bribed officials and rigged exams by deploying imposters to write their answersheets. The scam began in 1995 involving politicians, senior officials and businessmen. The CBI had taken over investigation following the Supreme Court order in 2015.

Also Read: Doctor accused in Vyapam scam mastermind behind UPTET paper leak, arrested again

Since the Central Bureau initiated its investigation, several students, doctors and officials have been arrested in this connection. Similarly, nine former officials of private medical colleges had also been accused of cheating, forgery among other offences in the pre-medical test PMT-2013 for admissions to MBBS course.

They were apprehending their arrest in a criminal case registered at the police station CBI, Bhopal for offences under section 420 (cheating) and other relevant provisions of the IPC, Madhya Pradesh Recognised Examinations Act, 1937, IT Act, Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Arms Act.

Appealing before the High Court for bail, the counsel for the officials, Advocate Ajay Gupta contended that CBI had filed the chargesheet in the case on February 17 before a special court in Bhopal stating that the interrogation was complete.

PTI adds that a division bench of Justices S Nagu and M S Bhatti on Friday imposed certain conditions on the accused persons, including that they will not seek unnecessary adjournments during the trial.

The court allowed bail applications of S N Vijaywargiya, the former chairman of Peoples College of Medical Science and Research Centre in Bhopal, Dr Ajay Goenka, the then secretary of Chirayu Charitable Foundation Bhopal and Suresh Singh Bhadoria, the then chairman of Mayank Welfare Society Indore.

The others granted bail were former members of Chirayu Medical College and Hospital's admission committee Dr Ravi Saxena, S N Saxena and Dr V H Bhavsar, former dean of Peoples College of Medical Science and Research Centre Dr Vijay Kumar Pandya, Arun Kumar Arora, a former employee of Index Medical College Indore and former dean of Chirayu Medical College and Hospital Dr Virendra Mohan.

The court in its order stated that in the event of arrest, the petitioners may be released on their furnishing a personal bond amount of Rs 1 lakh.

As per the order, the petitioners cannot seek unnecessary adjournments during the trial, cannot leave India without permission of the trial court, investigating officer, cannot indulge in extending inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case.

Meanwhile, as per the latest media report by the Times of India, Enforcement Directorate (ED), the authority which is probing the money laundering angle into the Vyapam scam, issued notices to five private medical colleges in this matter.

Those medical colleges allegedly admitted 200 students 'illegally' on the seats that were left vacant by the impersonators in PMT 2012-13.

It has been alleged that those seats "left vacant deliberately by scorers' were allotted to students in exchange of huge money without informing about this either to Vyapam or the Government.

The daily adds that on July 21, CBI's former SP M V Surti had written to the Director of Directorate of Medical Education (DME) and informed about these private medical colleges, which gave admission to 196 'ineligible candidates' on the last day of counselling on September 30, 2013, against the norms.

"These colleges deliberately gave false information about admission of candidates and actual vacancies of state-quota seats in their colleges to DME and thereby managed to keep vacancies in their colleges, Then, they gave irregular admission to ineligible candidates on these vacant seats on the last date of admission.

Investigation has revealed the unholy alliance of the management of these private medical colleges of MP and the ineligible candidates for the purpose of giving/taking admission on vacant state quota seats," said CBI.

However, the Madhya Pradesh Government has not yet complied with the CBI recommendation of initiating action against these 196 students.

Meanwhile, issuing notice to five private medical colleges, ED has asked them to submit relevant documents. The colleges, on the other hand, have requested for more time for this.