Vyapam case: Take appropriate steps against accused, says SC to STF

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today allowed SIT and Special Task Force of Madhya Police to file charge sheets in Vyapam scam cases till the matters are transferred to CBI.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justices Arun Kumar Mishra and Amitava Roy fixed July 24 for further hearing of the application of CBI that the probe agencies of the state police be allowed submit be charge sheets in the scam cases.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Congress leader Digvijay Singh, sought time to file reply to the plea of CBI.

The bench allowed it and fixed the matter for further hearing on July 24.

CBI had on July 16 approached the apex court with the plea, saying that transfer of more than 185 Vyapam scam cases from SIT to CBI will take time and the state investigating agencies be allowed to file charge sheets in the cases in which the probe is complete.

"Otherwise, the accused will get statutory bail on account of default of non-filing of charge sheets within stipulated time period," the probe agency had said.

On July 9, the Supreme Court had ordered transfer of the probe into all Vyapam scam cases and the deaths allegedly linked to it to CBI.

The apex court had passed the order while hearing a batch of petitions, including the one filed by Digvijay Singh seeking apex court-monitored CBI probe into all cases arising out of the scam.

Congress has alleged that around 49 persons linked to the scam have died under mysterious circumstances, a charge refuted by the state government. The official figure is around 25 which the state government says includes suicides, accidents and some other unnatural deaths.

The multi-crore rupee professional examination scam involves several high-profile professionals, politicians and bureaucrats as accused.