Bihar: CBI sends a list of 102 suspects to Sri Krishna medical College principal

Patna: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the Vyapam scam of Madhya Pradesh has sent a list of 102 suspects, including three girls to Sri Krishna Medical College (SKMC) at Muzaffarpur, to verify if any of the listed are in any way associated with the college.

The CBI intimation accompanied with student details in a compact disc was received by the College Principal, Dr. Vikas Kumar, last week. The disc carries signatures, thumb impressions, photographs and father’s names of all the 102 suspects, who may have been involved in the scam.

The CBI had earlier on also contacted the administration of the Patna Medical College, regarding another thirty, suspected of malpractice.

"Our internal team will verify the names provided by the CBI with the college records of students studying or having passed out," said the SKMC Principal on the phone from Muzzafarpur, on Tuesday. Posters of the suspects would be displayed in the library, administrative building and hostels, on Wednesday, he further added.

"Six months back, the college had provided to the CBI the details of at least 600 students who studied here and passed out during the past ten years," Dr Vikas said.

The PMC Principal, Surendra Nath Sinha, revealed that the CBI has contacted the college in November, asking for a final year student of the college to appear before it. "We have acknowledged the letter. The student has informed us that he will appear before the investigating agency after finishing his exams," said Sinha. He also confirmed that three months back the college had also received details of thirty suspects from the investigating agency.

"Though the names of four suspects matched with the college records, their father's name did not tally with that in the CBI list," Sinha revealed, adding that the college had replied to the agency, in accordance.

The Vyapam scam was an admission & recruitment scam involving politicians, senior officials and businessmen in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB), popularly known by its Hindi acronym "Vyapam" (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal), is a self-financed and autonomous body incorporated by the State government responsible for conducting several entrance tests in the state.

The scam involved a collusion of undeserving candidates, who bribed politicians and MPPEB officials through middlemen, to get high ranks in these entrance tests. The scam also led to between 23 and 40 'unnatural' deaths of involved individuals.

The scam involved 13 different exams conducted by Vyapam, for selection of medical students and state government employees (including food inspectors, transport constables, police personnel, school teachers, dairy supply officers and forest guards). The exams were taken by around 3.2 million students.