Trainee SI Anamika Sikarwar's death adds to Vyapam mystery

Vyapam is scorching Madhya Pradesh. And on Monday the scam and related deaths rocked the state, with a trainee sub-inspector, Anamika Sikarwar, allegedly committing suicide in Sagar. She was reportedly recruited to the force through the Madhya Pradesh Vyavsayik Pareeksha Mandal or Vyapam - the state's professional examination board.

It has been alleged that over the years politicians and bureaucrats have been involved in a massive recruitment scam in which proxy candidates appeared for the examinations. So far over 40 people - who were somehow linked to the scam - have died under mysterious circumstances.

Anamika was from the 2014 batch and was posted at the state government-run Jawaharlal Nehru Training Centre for the state police personnel. While the police claimed that she committed suicide, the Opposition Congress party linked her death to the Vyapam scam.

Sagar district city superintendent of police Gautam Solanki said Anamika was found missing from her room and later her body was found in a pond. "It is suspected to be a case of suicide," Solanki said, adding her selection had nothing to do with the Vyapam scam.

Suicide angle

In a statement, the state police said, "At 4.45 am we were told by one trainee that a girl has jumped into the pond to commit suicide. Two people saw her jumping into the pond. The moment we got that information we got her out of the pond and sent her to the hospital. But, she was declared as brought dead."

But the Congress was in no mood to listen to all that reasoning. Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh tweeted: "Training Cop recruited through Vyapam commits suicide in Sagar Police Academy MP. 46th or 47th?"

State Congress chief Arun Yadav said, Chouhan was the kingpin of the Vyapam "maha-ghotala" and had become "maut ka saudagar". "He (Chouhan) made his journey from dumper to bumper," Yadav said, referring to Vyapam scam in which students were admitted to medical course and youths got jobs allegedly by paying bribes to a nexus of politicians and Vyapam officials.

State government spokesperson and health minister Narottam Mishra said, "The Congress is merely trying to create panic by spreading rumours. The Congress must refrain from doing politics on deaths and it should stop maligning the state government."

The state health minister also said that dean of Jabalpur Medical College Arun Sharma was not involved in Vyapam investigations. He said that Vyapam inquiry is being conducted by STF and the dean had nothing to do with the probe. "He simply passed on some information related to Vyapam to STF, this doesn't mean that he was investigating," Mishra said. Sharma was recently found dead in a hotel in Delhi.

Meanwhile, in a related development, Ashish Chaturvedi - a whistleblower in Gwalior district - approached the police demanding security cover. "In the recent past, for 14 times, I was attacked or intimidated by unknown people. I have moved an application, claiming threat to life from Chouhan and 30 others who are involved in the scam," Chaturvedi told mediapersons.

In the past, Chaturvedi had exposed some of the accused who are believed to be close to the chief minister. The local court has directed the state government to provide security cover to him.