After registering FIRs on Wednesday in the Vyapam case in Madhya Pradesh, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday sought a clarification from the supreme court on the status of those who have been found accused by the state’s special task force (STF).

The clarification is required as an accused is eligible for bail if the investigating agency does not file a chargesheet within 90 days. The agency has also asked the STF to go ahead and file chargesheets against those in custody. The apex court will take up CBI’s clarification plea on Monday (July 20).

CBI took over the probe into the alleged irregularities in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB or Vyapam (Vyavsayik Pareeksha Mandal), and related deaths on July 13.
 
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu, fixed the plea of the probe agency for hearing on July 20 and asked CBI to serve the copy of the application to the parties concerned.

Additional solicitor general (ASG) Maninder Singh, appearing for CBI, said that the transfer of more than 185 Vyapam scam cases from SIT to CBI will take time and the state investigating agency 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 chargesheets within stipulated time period," the ASG said.

The alleged scam also involves MPPEB, which holds examinations for various posts, such as that of teachers, medical officers, constables and forest guards. The multi-crore rupee professional examination scam involves several high-profile professionals, politicians and bureaucrats as accused

Congress has alleged that around 49 persons linked to the Vyapam 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.

Meanwhile,  the Congress held a day-long statewide bandh and party general secretary Digvijay Singh and state unit president Arun Yadav demanding chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's resignation.

Yadav, along with Congress workers, reached Digvijay's house in Shyamla Hills from where the duo went on a motorcycle towards various city areas in support of the bandh call.

State Congress unit's spokesperson K K Mishra claimed that the "bandh was highly successful and people have supported it overwhelmingly."

The Congress party workers gave roses to people with a request to support the bandh. Heavy security was deployed in all major cities of the state to prevent any untoward incident, a senior police official said.

However, the state BJP said the Congress'claim of total bandh was ‘hollow’.