Vyapam scam: Chouhan buckles under stress, seeks CBI probe

After resolutely rejecting calls for a CBI probe, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan decided to seek an investigation into the murky Vyapam scam by the central agency on a day the Supreme Court agreed to hear petitions in this regard.

Following Chouhan's announcement at a press conference, the state government moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking its direction for institution of a CBI probe into the massive admission and recruitment scam. "We have filed a plea in the High Court seeking a CBI probe into the Vyapam scam," Additional Advocate General P Kaurav said.

Under intense opposition attack and mounting public outrage over a string of deaths of people associated with Vyapam, a beleagured Chouhan, a third time chief minister, announced his decision to recommend to the high court a CBI inquiry. "Loktantra lok lajja se chalta hai (public perception is important in democracy). Honouring public sentiments, I will request the high court for a CBI probe," Chouhan said, adding "the functioning of the government should be beyond any doubt."

"I have full respect for both High Court and the Supreme Court and have total faith in the ongoing probe into the Vyapam scam," he told a hurriedly convened press conference in Bhopal. 

In a related development, the Supreme Court today agreed to hear on July 9 the plea of Congress leader Digvijay Singh and three whistleblowers seeking an apex court-monitored CBI probe into the scam. Singh, a former MP chief minister, and whistleblowers -- Ashish Chaturvedi, Anand Rai and Prashant Pandey -- have also moved the apex court seeking a CBI probe under its supervision.

As Chouhan buckled under all round pressure to go for a CBI probe, a day after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh ruled it out in the absence of a direction from the court, Congress dismissed the move, insisting merely an investigation by the premier agency would not suffice and that it should be monitored by the Supreme Court.