Rifat Jawaid
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Two high profile deaths have taken place in Vyapam scam in as many days and officials have been quite nimble footed in declaring that there was no foul play behind their deaths.
Aajtak’s journalist, Akshay Singh, died in mysterious circumstances in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. Both police and the local hospital administration, which carried out his post mortem concluded there was nothing to suggest foul play in his death. We were made to believe that it was a mere coincidence that Akshay happened to be there investigating the Vyapam scam.
Even though among the 46 people who have died during their involvement with this scam in one way or the other, 10 have died in road accidents, more than a dozen due to unknown illnesses and four suicides. But, I would like to believe the MP government officials, who say that those dead and their involvement with the scam are purely coincidental.
Let’s look at some of the mysterious deaths and how the MP officials reacted when these deaths took place.
Amit Sagar, a veterinary student in Mhow, was found dead in a pond in February 2015. Police said that Sagar was a suspect and was pursuing a post-graduation course in animal husbandry from Mhow College and he died of drowning. Perhaps, he fancied swimming that early winter morning of February and drowned. The fact he was a Vyapam accused was purely coincidental.
Premlata Pandey, was a resident of Nehrunagar in Bhopal. Her death was attributed to liver cancer. A student, she was being investigated for one Vyapam case in Bhopal. But that, was again a coincidence.
Nrendra Singh Tomar, another accused in the scam, died in Indore prison in June this year. Indore police wasted absolutely no time in concluding that Narendra Singh Tomar, 29, who had been in jail since February 24, had actually died of a “heart attack.” The fact that his brother Vikram Singh claimed Tomar was “normal and did not complain of any discomfort” was completely irrelevant. Against the deceased’s involvement in Vyapam was purely a coincidence.
Shailesh Yadav, the son of Madhya Pradesh governor Ram Naresh Yadav, was found dead at his father’s residence in Lucknow. Poster mortem report was once again inconclusive with the officials saying, “The postmortem report says that cause of death could not be ascertained.”
Rajendra Arya, another accused in the scam, was out on bail when he was suddenly discovered dead. Soon we learnt that Arya too had died a natural death in Gwalior as “he was suffering from a liver infection.” We believe this official version but what about his involevement in Vyapam scam. Well that’s purely a coincidence.
Ramendra Singh Bhadoria, a 30 year old youth, was found hanging at his home in Gwalior a few days after an FIR was registered against him in Vyapam scam. Gwalior police said that Bhadoria committed suicide after being jolted in a failed love affair. A week later his mother too committed suicide.
Don’t believe Bhadoria’s family when they say “he was being mentally tortured by those involved in the MPPEB scam to keep quiet.” After all what do they know about medical matters? Silly them. And as for the Vyapam, didn’t they already know that this was purely a coincidence.
Dr DK Sakalley, the dean of Jabalpur’s NS Medical College, was found dead at his residence with his body completely burnt. Police said it was an act of self immolation. Superintendent of Police Harynarayanchari Mishra said, “The primary information indicates it was a suicide. He was being retired in the next two months. We haven’t found any suicide note.”
Dr Arun Kumar Sharma, was appointed to replace Sakalley as the new Dean of NS Medical College. Lately, Sharma also began assisting the Special Task Force probing the scam, providing documents on fake medical entrance examinees in the state-run medical college he headed. He was found dead on June 5 from a hotel near Delhi airport, while he was on his way to Agartala. Police said that ‘they were yet to see any evidence of foul play.’
Vijay Singh, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at a lodge in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district in April 2015. He was a resident of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh and posted as pharmacist at Shajapur District Jail. He was an accused in three cases of Vyapam scam. Police did not discover any ‘poisonous element’ from his body. And, therefore, it was assumed that he too had died a natural death. The fact that Special Task Force had found him involved in three cases of irregularities, was nothing but a pure coincidence.
Namrata Damor, was a student of MGM Medical college in Indore when she was found dead near railway tracks at Kayta village in Ujjain on 7 January, 2012. She too was in the list of suspects who cleared PMT-2010 using unfair means.
According to Times of India, a team of three doctors who conducted autopsy on her body said she was smothered to death and reported semen on her clothes. Director of state medico legal institute Dr D S Badkur, however, contradicted their finding claiming she committed suicide by jumping off the train. Once again, the 25 year old girl’s involvement in Vyapam was only and purely coincidence.
And the list of coincidences doesn’t end here. Last person Akshay had met before losing his life was Namrata’s father Mehtab Singh Damor. Mehtab had told media that Akshay and two others visited their house on Saturday afternoon. After the interview was over, someone was sent to get some papers photocopied.
As Akshay was waiting outside Damor’s house, suddenly he started frothing at the mouth. He was rushed to civil hospital and later to a private hospital, but doctors failed to revive him.
The best reason for all these mysterious deaths came from our learned home minister of Madhya Pradesh Babulal Gaur. He said, “Death is natural… be it in jail or on rail (train), one who is born will die.”
Absolute pearls of wisdom!
Rifat Jawaid is the founder and editor-in-chief of www.jantakareporter.com