Indore: A member of India chapter of anti-graft NGO Transparency International (TI) on Saturday claimed that Madhya Pradesh government spent Rs 1.25 crore to "hire senior counsels to oppose the petitions demanding CBI probe into Vyapam scam".

Ajay Dubey, member of TI's India Board, alleged here that between 2013 and 2015, the state government threw the rules to wind while hiring senior counsels.

"As the government's standing counsels were already arguing these cases, why senior counsels were hired and paid high fees?" he asked, citing information obtained from the state legal department.

Citing the rules of the legal department, Dubey claimed that senior counsels can be hired only when the standing counsels and legal officers of the government express unwillingness to take up a case.

Dubey said he will raise the issue with the Prime Minister's Office and the Union Law Ministry.

When the rackets operating in examinations conducted by Vyapam (MP Professional Examination Board) and the Dental and Medical Admission Test came to light, the BJP government in the state first opposed the demand of CBI probe.

The government's stand was that the probe by the Special Task Force constituted by the state was moving in the right direction. Later, as there was a hue and cry over mysterious deaths of several accused persons, it agreed to CBI probe, following which the Supreme Court handed over the probe to the Central agency last year.

Secretary of MP's legal department RK Vani was not available for comments.