Vyapam Scam: Governor Named in Computer Files Cited as Key Evidence

Mangalore Today News Network

Bhopal, July 13, 2015:  Ignoring protocol and ignominy, Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav has refused to resign despite being named "Accused No 10" in a case embedded in the Vyapam or jobs scam, now being investigated by the CBI. NDTV has today accessed exclusive information on how the Governor was listed in a sort of payroll of bribe-takers by officials whose computer files are key evidence in the case.

So far, the Governor has not been investigated because the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled last year that he is entitled to immunity while in office. The court said, however, that his statement could be recorded by state investigators; inexplicably, that has yet to be done. The Supreme Court is considering whether to order  Mr Yadav’s removal so that he can be probed, as demanded by the Opposition Congress and others.

"We do not believe that the office of Governor enjoys this sort of immunity," said BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao to NDTV today, stating for the first time that the government believes Mr Yadav can be investigated while in office.

Last year, the state police outlined the evidence against Governor Yadav and his son in an FIR. Two men arrested - Pankaj Trivedi and Nitin Mohindra, both former officials with Vyapam, the state board that the scam is named after - accused the Governor of "recommending" five people as forest guards. Computer files recovered in a raid also mention "Governor" in a spreadsheet that  recorded bribes, according to the pair.

Mr Yadav’s lawyers have said in court that the computer files were doctored to add his name and remove that of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
 
The death of the Governor’s son, Shailesh Yadav, is among more than 30 being investigated by the CBI as possibly linked to the Vyapam scam. He accepted a bribe of three lakhs at the Governor’s official residence, according to the police’s FIR. The NDTV newsbreak on those details has been cited by whistle-blowers in  the Supreme Court.