Another accused in Vyapam scam dies, number up to 24

MYSTERY Narendra Tomar had ‘arranged’ for imposters to write the Pre-Medical Test

BHOPAL: Narendra Singh Tomar, an accused in the high-profile Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam, has died under mysterious circumstances in an Indore jail, adding yet another murky chapter to the scandal in which 24 accused and witnesses have died so far.

Tomar, 29, a veterinarian, complained of chest pain on Saturday night and was rushed to Maharaja Yashwant Rao Hospital where he was declared brought dead, official sources said on Sunday.

City superintendent of police Ajay Jain said a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the death of Tomar, who was posted as assistant veterinary officer at Raisen before being embroiled in the MPPEB scam also known as Vyapam scam.

He was an accused in the pre-medical test conducted by MPPEB in 2009. Tomar was said to have arranged for imposters who wrote the exam papers in place of genuine aspirants.

Tomar’s is the 24 death of those named as accused or witnesses in connection with a plethora of criminal cases related to the scam.

The Special Investigating Team (SIT) probing the scandal had recently submitted a list of 23 deceased to the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Some reports have claimed 40 such deaths.

The most high-profile death was that of Shailesh Yadav, son of Madhya Pradesh governor Ram Naresh Yadav. Shailesh, 50, was found dead at his father’s residence in Mall Avenue area of Lucknow on March 25 this year.

The Vyapam scam is a massive admission and recruitment scandal involving politicians, bureaucrats and middlemen. Congress has even accused chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of complicity in the scam.