Did STF use ‘dead leads’ to deviate Vyapam scam probe?

The families of three Vyapam scam accused who died in a road accident five years ago have separately alleged the deceased were deliberately implicated as they could not defend themselves and could conveniently be used to shield real culprits.

The families that do not know each other say the special task force (STF) of Madhya Pradesh police and district-level special investigation teams (SITs) helping in the probe used ‘dead links’ so that they could close cases easily in the multi-crore exam-rigging scam.

Anuj Uike, Shyamveer Yadav and Anshul Sachan, all first-year students of Bundelkhand Medical College in their early twenties, died on the spot on June 14, 2010 when their car collided with a truck on a blind turn in the neighbouring Raisen district after midnight.

“The name of my son has been mischievously dragged in the Vyapam scam. The investigating officials targeted my son only to hush up the scandal,” Ganpat Singh Uike, father of Anuj and a police inspector posted in Seoni, said. Shyamveer Yadav’s family in Morar, Gwalior, is shattered. While his mother mostly wept during an interaction with HT, his elder sister, Mini, emphatically denied any Vyapam link with her brother.

“Police checked Shyam’s bank account after his death. It only had Rs 1,500 that my father sent him. Does a racketeer have to stay in such penury?” she said.

Anshul’s father Rajkumar Sachan spoke to HT over phone from Kanpur where the family shifted after the young man’s death. “I don’t even know the details of him being made an accused in the Vyapam scam, though police visited our relatives in Hoshangabad to inquire about the death two or three times. Anshul’s name shouldn’t be dragged after his death,” he said.

STF chief Sudhir Sahi could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts.