Bhopal, Dec 28 (IANS): Special CBI Judges in Bhopal and Gwalior have sentenced 10 persons to rigorous imprisonment for three to seven years in three separate cases related to the Vyapam entrance examination scam in Madhya Pradesh.
The Special CBI Judge in Bhopal has handed down a seven-year rigorous imprisonment sentence along with a fine of Rs 10,000 each on Hardik Patel, Srawan Sonar, Dhananjay Kumar, Rakesh Kumar Patel and Mukesh Mourya, who have been charged with fraud and impersonation during the 3013 Pre Medical Test (PMT).
The CBI had initiated the case on January 12, 2016 following the direction of the Supreme Court after an FIR was filed at the STF police station in Bhopal.
The accused, including the beneficiary candidate, middlemen, impersonator/solver, and the candidate's father, had conspired to carry out fraudulent activities.
"The beneficiary candidate, a resident of Gujarat, purportedly cleared the PMT-2013 and secured admission in an MBBS programme at a private college in Bhopal through cheating, impersonation, and forgery,” said a CBI official.
The conspiracy involved the accused middlemen/solver, who facilitated these actions in exchange for a consideration of approximately Rs 20.25 lakh provided by the candidate's father.
The state police had filed a charge sheet and three supplementary charge sheets in connection with the case.
According to the CBI, after taking over the case, the agency conducted a thorough investigation and filed a supplementary charge sheet against the accused persons.
In the second case, the Special CBI Magistrate in Gwalior sentenced Arvind Singh (beneficiary candidate) and Vipin Kumar (impersonator) to three years' rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 4,000 each in a case related to Patwari Recruitment Examination, 2012.
The CBI had registered the instant case on December 12, 2015. It was further alleged that while checking the admit cards and ID proofs of the candidates during the Patwari Recruitment Examination, Vipin Kumar was found appearing in the examination in place of the actual candidate, Arvind Singh.
“After investigation, the CBI had filed a supplementary charge sheet on August 31, 2018 against Arvind and Vipin. The trial court found the said accused guilty and convicted them,” a CBI official said.
In the third case, the Special CBI Judge in Gwalior sentenced Santosh Sharma (beneficiary candidate), Jitendra Kumar (impersonator/solver) and Ranveer Singh (middleman) to four years' rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 13,100 each in a case relating to Forest Guard Examination, 2013.
The CBI had registered the instant case on December 12, 2015 wherein it was alleged that Jitendra Kumar (solver) was appearing in the exam in place of original candidate Santosh Sharma.
“During reconciliation and matching of photograph and signature by the invigilator, it was found that the photograph and signature in the application form of Santosh Sharma were not matching with the candidate who appeared in the exam,” said the CBI official.