All deaths can't be linked to Vyapam scam: Shivraj Singh Chouhan, CM, Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: As the number of deaths allegedly linked to MP’s Vyapam scam keeps increasing by the day, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led administration is giving contradictory signals about investigating them.

Even though both SIT chief Chandresh Bhushan and Chouhan have asserted that the special task force (STF) was looking into all deaths dispassionately to dig out the truth, fresh criticism in the aftermath of Monday’s death of a trainee sub-inspector in a police academy in Sagar district prompted Chouhan to declare that “not all deaths should be linked to Vyapam”. This was on a day when Bhushan reiterated that though there was “no foul play” it would be prudent to wait for STF report which may come “within a week”.

A close perusal of documents detailing officially recognised 25 Vyapam-related deaths, which were reportedly filed as annexures by the STF and leaked by the administration itself, shows the administration has given more emphasis on delinking the deaths from the scam. The STF has declared most deaths as accidental, suicides, or on account of natural causes, such as disease or illness. “Relatives do not doubt (reason or circumstances of) the accused’s death,” reads an often quoted remark in the annexures detailing the dates, addresses and nature of crime committed by some of the accused who have been perceived to be dead in mysterious circumstances.

Surprisingly, the annexures are silent about deaths in suspicious circumstances being investigated. For instance, the suspicious death of racketeer Narendra Tomar in Indore Jail on June 28 has been blamed on ‘‘illness’’.