The Vyapam Scandal: Mysterious Deaths Surrounding India’s Biggest Exam Scam
In 2013, the state examination body Vyavsaik Pariksha Mandal (Vyapam) in Madhya Pradesh, India, was hit by a massive scandal. Thousands of people were arrested for cheating and rigging in exams, making it the largest exam scam in Vyapam’s history. However, what shocked the nation even more was the string of mysterious deaths that occurred among those suspected of involvement in the scam.
One of the first victims was Namrata Thamor, a 19-year-old medical student at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College. She went missing in early January 2012, and her body was later found near a railway track. The initial post-mortem report indicated signs of violence, leading to her death being classified as a homicide. However, a subsequent report concluded that it was a suicide.
Three years later, journalist Akshay Singh visited Namrata’s father to investigate her death. Before recording the interview, he suddenly developed a cough and started foaming at the mouth. Despite efforts to save him, Singh passed away. The autopsy report cited a heart attack as the cause of death.
Soon after Singh’s death, Dr. Arun Sharma, the dean of a government medical college, was found dead in a hotel room in New Delhi. He had been compiling a list of students involved in Vyapam malpractices. Although officials ruled his death as “natural causes” due to excessive alcohol consumption, suspicions arose.
Dr. D.K. Sakalli, the former dean of Jabalpur Medical College, also died under mysterious circumstances. He was in charge of the administrative inquiry into the Vyapam scandal and was found engulfed in flames in his garden. While official investigations deemed it a suicide, whistleblowers disputed this conclusion.
Another victim, Narendra Rajput, a BAMS graduate, died unexpectedly. He had allegedly acted as a “middleman” in the Vyapam scam. His cause of death remains unknown, and his family has not received compensation under the government’s insurance scheme for farmers.
In total, between 2007 and 2015, 32 people were reported to have died in connection with the Vyapam scandal. However, media reports suggested that the death toll may have exceeded 40. The involvement of politicians, doctors, college staff, students, middlemen, and outsiders in Vyapam exam malpractices shed light on the extent of the fraud.
Impersonation, mishandling of exam roll numbers, irregularities in answer sheets, and bribery were common practices used to rig Vyapam exams. A network of middlemen, impersonators, and compromised exam centers worked together to orchestrate the scams.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched an investigation into the Vyapam scandal, which revealed numerous irregularities and frauds. However, many cases had to be dropped due to insufficient evidence.
The deaths of those linked to the Vyapam malpractices raised suspicions and highlighted the need for a comprehensive and impartial investigation. The CBI’s plea to close the case related to Namrata Thamor’s death, ruling it a suicide, underlines the challenges and complexities surrounding the scandal.
As the investigation into the Vyapam scandal continues, the truth behind these mysterious deaths remains elusive, leaving many unanswered questions.