Vyapam Scam claims Jabalpur Medical College dean's life

Delhi police probing the mysterious death of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College dean Arun Sharma on Sunday claimed that Sharma had given few documents related to the Vyapam scam to the Special Task Force (STP) some time back.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College dean Arun Sharma.

A senior official of the Jabalpur medical college too echoed similar statement. "Two-days back he submitted a report about the alleged irregularities in the pre-medical test to the high court-constituted SIT probing the Vyapam recruitment scam." Claiming that nothing suspicious has been found so far, Joint Commisioner Deependra Pathak said, "We haven't found anything suspicious till now. No injury marks on his body. Only an autopsy will make it clear about exact cause of death. We spoke to the family. He was a patient of hypertension and diabetes."

According to sources, Sharma checked into room number 234 of Uppal hotel in Dwarka on Saturday. He asked the staff to wake him up at 4.30 am, since he had to catch a morning flight to Agartala. When the staff tried to wake him up, he didn't respond. Later, the staff opened the door which was locked from inside with the master key. To their surprise, they found Sharma had vomited and defecated on the bed where he was lying dead. Later a call was made around 5:45 pm to police control room. According to the police, a PCR team reached the spot and took him to Deen Dayal Upadhaya hospital which is almost 20 kilometers from the hotel where doctors declared him dead.

His death follows the suspicious death of Akshay Singh, an investigative journalist with the news channel Aaj Tak. At least 33 witnesses or accused have died over the last five years, with the Opposition demanding a CBI inquiry. Sharma had been under severe duress ever since he took action against some students who cracked the pre-medical test by using fraudulent means. Sharma, head of the radio diagnostics department of the medical college was to retire in 2016.

It is mere coincidence that Sharma's predecessor DK Sakalle died after being found engulfed in flames outside his government quarter situated on the medical college campus a year back on July 7. Reacting to Sharma's death, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh, who has petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe, tweeted, "Dr Arun Sharma Dean of Jabalpur Medical College found dead in a Delhi Hotel. His father NK Sharma was a Minister, MP and MPCC president."