CBI begins probe into Vyapam observer’s death

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jharsuguda, Oct 20:

The CBI has begun its probe into the mysterious death of retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Vijay Bahadur at Belpahar railway station in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district on Thursday.

Bahadur had acted as an observer in two Vyapam recruitment tests in Madhya Pradesh, the CBI team which arrived here from Delhi is probing if his accidental death had any links with the Vyapam scam.

Bahadur’s body was found on a railway track near Belpahar station on Thursday. He was travelling by Puri-Jodhpur Express train.

A CBI official had visited Belpahar railway station yesterday and had extensively interrogated station master N Pradhan.

The station master said the CBI official had questioned him why Puri-Jodhpur Express in which Bahadur  was traveling stop at Belpahar station on October 15 while Belpahar was not a scheduled stoppage of that train. The CBI official asked him on when he got the message of Bahadur’s accident, he added.

Bahadur’s wife Nita Singh brought the matter of her husband’s disappearance to the notice of ticket inspector of the train after reaching Raigarh station, about 70km from here. Bahadur was on the way to Bhopal from Puri with his wife Nita Singh by the Puri-Jodhpur Express.

Bahadur’s death is the first incident after the Supreme Court on July 9 this year had handed over the probe to the CBI not only to inquire into the Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal (Vyapam), or the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam but also the deaths related to it.

It may be noted 48 people linked to Vyapam have died, some mysteriously.