Indore–In a significant verdict in the notorious Vyapam scam, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Indore on Saturday convicted 12 accused in connection with impersonation during the 2011 Pre-Medical Test (PMT) conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board.
Each of the convicts was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 6,000. Following the order, all 12 were sent to jail.
Of the convicted individuals, four are residents of Madhya Pradesh, while eight hail from Uttar Pradesh, underscoring the inter-state nature of the organised examination fraud racket.
Presiding Judge Shubhra Singh, delivering the judgment after a detailed trial, held the accused guilty of orchestrating a systematic and deliberate fraud. The court noted that the case involved original candidates who submitted applications, imposters who appeared in their place during the examination, and middlemen who facilitated the deception for financial gain.
The court observed that such acts go beyond mere legal violations and strike at the very foundation of fairness in competitive examinations. “This is a betrayal of deserving candidates’ futures,” the court remarked, emphasising that meritorious students were deprived of rightful opportunities in medical education due to the scam.
One additional accused, who was a minor at the time of the offence, had his case dealt with separately earlier.
The Vyapam scam, which came to light in 2013, is considered one of the largest recruitment and examination frauds in the country. It exposed an extensive nexus involving officials, politicians and intermediaries who manipulated examinations for government jobs and professional courses. The case gained further notoriety due to multiple deaths linked to the investigation.
In 2015, following Supreme Court directions, the probe was handed over to the CBI. Since then, a series of Vyapam-related cases have been adjudicated across courts.
Legal experts described the latest verdict as another step towards accountability in the decade-old scandal, though several cases are still pending. Earlier this month, courts delivered similar sentences in other Vyapam-linked cases, including irregularities in Patwari recruitment.
Victim advocates have reiterated the need for stronger safeguards and reforms to prevent malpractice in competitive examinations. While the convicted individuals are expected to challenge the verdict in higher courts, their immediate imprisonment is being seen as a strong deterrent against examination fraud. (Source: IANS)
