New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ordered a CBI probe into all Vyapam scam cases and alleged deaths related to it’ It issued notice to the Centre, the Madhya Pradesh government and the Governor of Madhya Pradesh on a plea seeking his removal over his alleged involvement in the scam.

Following a public outcry and numerous media reports, the MP government has recently agreed to let the Central Bureau of Investigation investigate the scam, which involved cheating in examinations conducted by the state’s professional examination board or ‘Vyapam’ and the ‘sale’ of government jobs.

The court issued notice and sought response of the Centre and the state government on a plea for removal of Governor Ram Naresh Yadav for his alleged involvement in the scam. The court also issued notice to the Governor.

A bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu clarified that all cases will be transferred to the CBI from Monday and the agency will file its report before it on July 24.

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Before handing over the probe to the CBI, the apex court took on record the submission of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, who on behalf of the MP government, said that the state has no objection on transferring the investigation of cases relating to the Vyapam scam to the CBI and the cases related to the deaths of people allegedly related to the scam for free and fair probe.

While dealing with the matter connected to the Governor, the bench said it was only issuing notice which would be returnable after four weeks time.

The bench also refrained from making any remarks on the Governor when senior advocate Kapil Sibal said that Yadav should demit office to maintain its dignity. ”We are not going to say anything on it,” it said.

The apex court was hearing a bunch of petitions including one filed by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh seeking a CBI probe into all cases arising out of the Vyapam scam.

When Sibal was speaking about the magnitude of the scam and seeking short notice saying that everyday people are dying, the bench observed “we would not allow it to go from 36 to 38.”

When Sibal said that the deaths have risen to 48, the CJI said “in the petition I see 36.”

The bench also took up petitions of two ‘whistle-blowers’ Ashish Kumar Chaturvedi and Prashant Pandey on which notice was issued, and kept them for hearing next week. The apex court de-tagged the petitions of whistleblowers from that concerning the Governor

Advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for Pandey. On July 7, the apex court had agreed to hear the plea of the three whistleblowers seeking an apex court-monitored CBI probe into the Vyapam scam case.

Singh and whistleblowers – Chaturvedi, Dr Anand Rai and Pandey – had moved the apex court seeking a CBI probe under its supervision.

Earlier, a group of lawyers and Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas had moved the court urging it to take cognisance of the scam.

The petition, filed by a group of lawyers, had sought removal of Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav on the ground of his alleged involvement in the massive admission and recruitment scam in the state and recording of his statement in the case.

In his petition, AAP leader had urged the apex court to take cognisance of the massive scam, saying 45 people have died in mysterious circumstances in connection with the case.

The apex court had earlier granted four months more time to the SIT, constituted following High Court order, to conclude probe into the case.

The scam, involves several high-profile professionals, politicians and bureaucrats as accused.

[Based on a PTI report]

  crime, Indian national Congress, Vyapam