Vyapam scam: SC to hear Digvijay Singh, 3 whistle-blower's plea seeking CBI probe today

July 9, 2015

New Delhi/Bhopal, Jul 9: As the mysterious Vyapam scam is getting murkier with each passing day, the Supreme Court on Thursday will hear a plea of Congress leader Digvijay Singh and three whistle-blower's seeking an apex court-monitored CBI probe into the matter.

CBI probeA bench headed by chief justice HL Dattu had agreed to give an urgent hearing over the said scam and had posted all petitions to be heard today. The infamous Vyapam scam also includes a string of mystery deaths.

A battery of high-profile lawyers are likely to be fielded to argue for an investigation into the Vyapam scam by the CBI which should be monitored by the apex court. According to reports a possible argument could also take place for the removal of Madhya Pradesh governor Ram Naresh Yadav for his alleged role in the irregularities.

Digvijay Singh and the three whistle-blowers - Ashish Chaturvedi, Anand Rai and Prashant Pandey - while demanding for a SC-monitored CBI probe had said that they have no faith in the state agency's Special Task Force (STF) that is probing the scam.

Meanwhile, taking a dig at Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress leader termed Vyapam as the 'Mama (Uncle)' of all scandals.

Instilling his faith in Supreme Court, the Congress leader wrote on Twitter - "The whole Nation is waiting for Hon Supreme Court for their decision on 9th in Vyapam. I am sure Truth would prevail."

However, on Tuesday, bowing to public pressure, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had recommended a CBI probe into the snowballing examination scandal that has bruised his government’s credibility with people connected to the case dying mysteriously.

He had announced the decision at a hurriedly-called press conference in Bhopal and his government filed a plea in the state high court to allow a central inquiry into the Vyapam scam that saw widespread rigging of competitive exams for entry into Madhya Pradesh’s professional education institutes, with everybody from students and politicians to bureaucrats and doctors under suspicion.

Earlier, the apex court had granted four months more time to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted following a High Court order, to conclude probe into the case.

The multi-crore rupees professional examination scam, involves several high-profile professionals, politicians and bureaucrats as accused.

The alleged scam involves Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPEB), which holds examinations for various posts such as teachers, medical officers, constables and forest guards.

Over 46 people allegedly associated with the admission and recruitment scam in Vyapam have died since 2013 in mysterious circumstances.

The most high-profile death in connected with the case has been that of Shailesh Yadav, son of Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav. Shailesh (50) was found dead at his father's residence in Mall Avenue area of Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow on March 25, 2015.

Recently, on June 4, a television journalist Akshay Singh, in Madhya Pradesh, suddenly fall ill and died while interviewing parents of a girl who had been found dead near railway tracks, after her name figured in the Vyapam scam. The next day, a college dean from the state helping in the investigation was found dead in a hotel room in Delhi.

On Monday, a woman police trainee recruited through Vyapam was found dead in Sagar district.

And a Madhya Pradesh police constable, who committed suicide also on Monday, was being questioned by a team probing the scam, reports said.

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News Network
January 18,2020

New Delhi, Jan 18: The Supreme Court Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking conferment of 'Bharat Ratna' on Mahatma Gandhi saying that people hold the father of the nation in “high esteem”, beyond any formal recognition.

A bench, comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, however asked petitioner Anil Dutta Sharma to give representation to the central government in this regard.

“Mahatma Gandhi is the father of nation and people hold him in high esteem, beyond any formal recognition,” the bench said.

The issue of directing the government to award Bharat Ratna to the father of the nation was not a “justiciable issue”, it said.

The bench however said that it agreed with the sentiments of the petitioner for granting official decoration to Mahatma Gandhi.

Disposing of the petition, the top court said, “We will allow you to give a representation to the Centre in this regard.”

Sharma, in his PIL, had sought a direction to the government to give “official decoration” to Mahatma Gandhi to honour him for the contribution to the nation.

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News Network
April 11,2020

New Delhi, Apr 11: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with chief ministers, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday urged CMs of states where the party is in power to unanimously demand for transfer of cash to every poor family.

He said the poor have lost their jobs and have exhausted their savings. They are now standing in lines to get free food, the former Union finance minister said.

Chidambaram said remonetising the poor would cost only Rs 65,000 crore, which is economically viable.

"Chief ministers Amarinder Singh, Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, V Narayanasami, Uddhav Thackeray and E Palaniswani should tell the prime minister today that just as LIVES are important LIVELIHOOD of the poor is important, he tweeted.

"The poor have lost their jobs or self-employment in the last 18 days. They have exhausted their meagre savings. Many are standing in line for food," Chidambaram said.

Can the state stand by and watch them go hungry," he asked, adding that chief ministers should demand that cash be transferred to every poor family immediately.

"Remonetise the poor should be their unanimous demand," Chidambaram said.

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News Network
March 30,2020

New Delhi, Mar 30: The number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 1,071 in India on Monday, while the death toll rose to 29, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 942, while 99 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated, the ministry stated.

In its updated data at 10.30 am, it said two fresh deaths were reported from Maharashtra.

Thus, Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of eight COVID-19 deaths so far, followed by Gujarat (5), Karnataka (3), Madhya Pradesh (2), Delhi (2) and Jammu and Kashmir (2).

Kerala, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have reported a death each.

The total number of 1,071 cases includes 49 foreigners.

The highest number of confirmed cases of the pandemic has been reported from Kerala (194) so far, followed by Maharashtra at 193.

The number of cases has gone up to 80 in Karnataka, while Uttar Pradesh has reported 75 cases.

The number of cases has risen to 69 in Telangana, 58 in Gujarat and 57 in Rajasthan.

Delhi has reported 53 cases, while in Tamil Nadu, the number of positive cases is 50.

Punjab has reported 38 cases, while 33 COVID-19 cases have been detected each in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

There are 31 cases of the contagion in Jammu and Kashmir, followed by Andhra Pradesh (19), West Bengal (19) and Ladakh (13).

Bihar has 11 cases, while nine cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Chandigarh has eight cases, while Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand have reported seven cases each.

Goa has reported five coronavirus cases, while Himachal Pradesh and Odisha have reported three cases each. Puducherry, Mizoram and Manipur have reported a case each, the Health Ministry said.

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