NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered three new FIRs relating to Vyapam scandal of Madhya Pradesh on Friday.
The first case has been registered against two people regarding alleged illegalities committed in the Police Constable Recruitment Test in 2014 conducted by Vyapam and the Second Case has been registered against two persons pertaining to alleged illegalities in the Police Constable Recruitment Test in 2013. The agency has registered third case against one people regarding illegalities in the Police Constable Recruitment Test 2012.
On the directions of Supreme Court of India, CBI has taken over the investigation, which was earlier being probed by the Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force. With three new cases, agency has registered in total 55 cases and 10 Preliminary enquires related the scam so far.
Special Task Force of Madhya Pradesh, who was earlier probing the Vyapam scam, had registered more than 185 cases and arrested around 2,000 people, including former state Education Minister Laxmikant Sharma and several top bureaucrats. The agency is also probing mysterious deaths related to the scam.
Meanwhile, CBI has informed the Supreme Court that because to shortage of officials, they are seeking more time in taking over the cases from Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu that the cases arising from Vyapam scam will go up from present 185 and all efforts were being made by the government to overcome the shortfall of CBI sleuths to take over the investigation.
"The problem that really arises is that the burden on the CBI is tremendous. The number of FIRs will rise and will not be limited to the present 185,” AG said.
On this, the bench asked him to tell on August 24 that "by what time CBI will take over the maximum cases for probe".
AG said though CBI has its own cadre, 50 per cent of the personnel with the agency are deputationists and now there has been a decrease in deputationists also.
"To solve this problem we will increase the strength of the CBI through the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)," he said while explaining that there are certain grade of officials in the agency who are only entrusted with the job of investigation.
The Attorney General said a request would be made to West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh where CBI sleuths are involved in investigating Saradha and Vyapam scams respectively to send 200 state cadre officials on deputation with the agency to be engaged in probing other cases.