BHOPAL: In the wake of the FIRs issued in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) or Vyapam scam, the Home Ministry has asked Governor Ram Naresh Yadav, also named in the complain, to quit.
A Special Task Force (STF) registered an FIR against Yadav and 100 others in the examination scam on Teusday, sources said. Additional Director General of Police (STF) Ashish Khare told the media that the first information report (FIR) was lodged over the recruitment of forest guards.
Those named in the FIR include 88 candidates and 11 middlemen and other people. They have been charged under relevant sections of the IT Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The manipulation in selection process for government jobs, conducted by Vyapam, is being probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Khare said that since the matter was being heard by the high court, he will not be able to name the people in the FIR. He also did not name the governor. However, when the media asked him about an FIR against Governor Yadav, Khare only said the process was on.
Sources told IANS that the Raj Bhavan had written letters of recommendation for two youth - Mahesh and Satish, both residents of Uttar Pradesh - who had appeared in the examination for recruitment as forest guards. Khare had also met Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief Chandresh Bhushan in this connection.
The opposition Congress - which had earlier submitted a document to the SIT - Tuesday handed over more papers in a sealed envelope to the probe team. Bhushan told reporters the envelope contained a pen drive and some documents.
The sources told IANS that Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh has also sent some documents which contain details about phone calls and SMSes. Singh has alleged that the STF was trying to protect Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The SIT said Singh's allegation was being probed.
On Tuesday, when Chouhan stood up in the legislative assembly to speak about the governor's address during the budget session, Congress members protested and demanded the chief minister to clarify whether the governor has been named in the FIR or not.
"It was a black day in the history of the assembly, as the opposition did not allow the leader of the house to speak," Chouhan told reporters outside the assembly.
He said the examination issue was being heard by the high court and hence could not be discussed in the assembly, and accused the Congress of creating disturbances. Congress workers later also protested in the streets, demanding the governor's resignation. The government has told the high court said till now, 539 people have been arrested and 218 are absconding in the scam.