Supreme Court Orders CBI Probe Into Vyapam Scam, Exposes BJP Culpability

NEW DELHI: The politician, erstwhile like Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav, and serving like state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan are finally close to meeting justice with the intervention of the Supreme Court for a scam that has killed, maimed, threatened, and silenced innumerable witnesses and victims.

The Supreme Court has done what the executive should have, ordered a CBI probe into the multi-crore Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh.A bench led by Chief Justice H L Dattu said the probe agency will investigate the criminal cases as well as the spate of deaths of accused and witnesses in the scam.

The apex court has also issued notices to the MP Governor Ram Naresh Yadav, central and state governments on a plea to prosecute the Governor over his alleged complicity in the scam. It also sought replies on the plea to remove him but it refrained from passing any immediate order on this.

The court has broken the silence of the state and central government on the Vyapam scam that had acquired all the dimensions of a potboiler over the past seven years, with over 30 persons dying in mysterious circumstances-- the last two including a television journalist within 24 hours---and the BJP led governments maintaining a grim silence. In fact BJP spokespersons were fielded to defend CM Chauhan, with the centre absolutely silent and Chauhan himself aggressively defiant.

The Supreme Court has also rapped the state High Court for “washing its hands off” the matter by declining to hear the plea for CBI probe a day ago. The bench was hearing a batch of petitions, demanding a CBI probe into the matter. On the issue of monitoring the probe, the court is likely to take a call on July 14 when the matter is heard next. - See more at:

The Chauhan government has been accused of systematically blocking the investigation, with the Chief Minister insisting on presiding over the investigation himself. Demands over the years, although sporadic, for an impartial high level probe were resisted by the BJP Chief Minister and the government. The Governor, despite the involvement of his staff and allegedly son who died also in mysterious circumstances in the deathly Vyapam scam, has been refusing to accept demands to step down in the interests of a thorough investigation using the protection offered by the high office to his advantage.

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In a volte face now Chauhan and his Ministers claim that they were always for a CBI probe. "Several allegations have been levelled against me. I had myself recommended a CBI probe. I appeal to CBI to start probe at the earliest and bring out the truth," Chouhan said.

As always action has deferred after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to Delhi from his long foreign visit. The BJP claims that action against the Governor will also be decided then although Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who had also been keeping silent on the Vyapam scam even when it was bursting at the seams, has now taken an appointment with President Pranab Mukherjee.

The Supreme Court rap has again prevented the BJP from taking credit for acting against corruption on its own volition. As Opposition leaders told The Citizen, now any action taken by the government will be seen by the people as a response to the apex court’s direction, wherein the BJP appears to be acting without a will. The silence by the BJP’s national leadership about the Vyapam scam has gone against it, opposition leaders believe, particularly when taken in conjunction with the silence on the Lalit Modi scam, as well as the other charges of corruption that have surfaced against a senior Minister Munde in Maharashtra.