Vyapam scam: MP Police constable found hanging at home; was questioned by STF

Hours after a trainee woman cop allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a lake in Sagar, an MP Police constable was found dead in Orchha late on Monday.

Vyapam scam: MP Police constable found hanging at home; was questioned by STF

Bhopal: Hours after a trainee woman cop allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a lake in Sagar, an MP Police constable was found dead in Orchha late on Monday.

Constable Ramakant Pandey was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his living quarters in the tourist town.

Media reports said that he was questioned by the Special Task Force (STF) probing the Vyapam scam a few months ago.

However, Tikamgarh SP Nimish Agrawal has rejected the premise that Pandey's death is linked to the Vyapam scam.

The senior police officer pointed that Pandey was recruited in year 2000, when Vyapam was not tasked with recruitment of constables.

Agrawal said that Pandey was an alcoholic and had been under depression due to mounting debt.

Reports said Pandey was a native of Datia district.

Yesterday, the body of trainee sub-inspector Anamika Sikarwar (25) was found in a lake adjacent to the Police Training Academy at Sagar district headquarters in Madhya Pradesh.

Sagar City Superintendent of Police Gautam Solanki said they suspect Anamika's death to be a case of suicide, a claim promptly dismissed by the Congress.

She was selected as a sub-inspector in an exam conducted by Vyapam but police said that her selection has nothing to do with Vyapam scam and she was not a suspected beneficiary.

The Chief Minister quickly denied that the incident was linked to the Vyapam probe.

"It is sad and unfortunate incident. But with all responsibility I say that there is no connection of that unfortunate incident with Vyapam or its probe. And it is not fair to link all such unfortunate incidents with Vyapam," he said.

In a related development, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition seeking removal of Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav over his alleged involvement in the massive admission and recruitment scandal in the state.

Whistleblower Ashish Chaturvedi, 26, claimed that there was a grave threat to his life and accused Chouhan of being "directly involved" in the scam, a charge rubbished by the CM.

Congress, which has sought a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe, stepped up its attack on Chouhan, demanding that he be sacked to allow an impartial investigation and said that he cannot escape responsibility for "45 deaths" of people having some connection with the issue.

"Shivraj Singh Chouhan should be sacked and an impartial probe should be done in the Vyapam scam," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in New Delhi.

In Bhopal, the ruling BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh accused the Congress of "playing politics over the deceased" and asserted that Sharma's death was not related to the case.