Vyapam scam: CBI special court sentences PMT candidate to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment

Announcing a  stringent verdict against one of the convicts in Madhya Pradesh's Vyapam Scam who used fraudulent means to crack the Medical Entrance test (PMT 2009), Gwalior's CBI special court sentenced five years of rigorous imprisonment on Tuesday. Arvind Agnihotri, convicted by the CBI special court on Tuesday, was accused of using deceitful methods to get admission to Medical College in Gwalior through PMT 2009. The CBI said in a statement that Arvind Agnihotri was arrested and questioned as part of the inquiry. He was also accused of failing to attend the PMT 2009 entrance examination, at the examination Center in New Delhi. In his place, he had set up an impersonator apparently, who took the examination for him in both shifts.

The CBI further informed that they had lodged a case against the accused in 2015 as directed by the Supreme Court and had taken over the investigation of the case, which was previously registered at the Jhansi Road Police Station in Gwalior. After the results were announced, it was informed that he had passed the MPPMT 2009 Examination. He then participated in PMT 2009 counselling and was successful in getting admission.

The specimen handwriting and signature of Arvind Agnihotri were obtained during the CBI investigation. Then the OMR Answer Sheets of the PMT exam and the Cover Pages of Question Booklets from both shifts, as well as the OMR Application Form, and Address Slip were retrieved from the MP Professional Examination Board (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal) Vapam by CBI and were later sent to CFSL for comparison and expert opinion.

The scientific analysis of the handwriting and signatures established that Arvind Agnihotri did not write or sign the OMR Application form, OMR Answer Sheets, or Question Booklet cover sheets, proving that the accused had not written the exam himself.

With the help of this evidence, the CBI was able to establish that Arvind Agnihotri did not appear in the PMT 2009 Examination, which was held in New Delhi on July 5, 2009. However, he later got enrolled in the MBBS course based on the results and was illegally selected in the Medical College, Gwalior by engaging the services of an unknown imposter.

Vyapam scam

The Vyapam scam refers to irregularities in exams held by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, also called Vyavasayik Pareeksha Mandal or Vyapam, for admission in professional courses and state services. The scam came to light in 2013 and shook the very core of the education system in the state.

It involved 13 different exams conducted by Vyapam, for the selection of medical students and state government employees. Scamsters including politicians, senior and junior officials, and businessmen systematically employed imposters to write papers, manipulate exam hall seating arrangements, and supply forged answer sheets by bribing officials.
 

With ANI Inputs
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