Documents got via RTI contradict his statements in M.P. Assembly.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has withheld information on the Vyapam scam from the Vidhan Sabha on various occasions.

The replies he gave during Question Hour in the House date back to his previous tenure as Chief Minister.

Documents with The Hindu show that Mr. Chouhan, who held the Medical Education portfolio from December 2008 to March 2012 when irregularities in the pre-medical test were detected, gave replies contrary to facts.

Mr. Chouhan told the Vidhan Sabha on February 23, 2012, that orders had been issued for sending allegedly fake signatures and photographs of candidates to the Central Forensic Science Laboratories in Hyderabad and Chandigarh for a second opinion after tests at the State lab.

To Right to Information applications filed by whistle-blower Ashish Chaturvedi in 2012, both laboratories revealed they had never received the samples.

“As per records, no such case is received by the document division, CFSL, Hyderabad,” the Hyderabad laboratory wrote to the applicant. A week later, he got a similar reply from Chandigarh.

The BJP said the Congress was raising an old issue. “If the Congress found anything wrong with the information provided by the CM, it should have raised this issue in the Assembly,” spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said.

Chouhan misled House, says Opposition leader

Mr. Chouhan told the Vidhan Sabha in 2011 that no candidate who got admission through fraudulent means in the State medical and dental colleges between 2007 and 2010 had been identified.

“But on November 19, 2009, the M.P. Nagar police registered an FIR identifying nine fake candidates. In 2010, 40 more such candidates were identified. The CM was misleading the house more than one year later. The matter related to a department directly under him,” Satyadev Katare, Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, told The Hindu. The said FIR was registered on a complaint by a Vyapam official.

Mr. Chouhan made the statement when Opposition MLA Pratap Grewal asked if there had been fake admissions in the medical and dental colleges between 2007 and 2010 and if the government had constituted a committee to look into the matter on December 17, 2009. The MLA sought details on fake candidates.

Responding to the questions on March 31, 2011, Mr. Chouhan replied in the affirmative to the first two queries. But he said no fake candidates had been identified and therefore, no details were available. Mr. Katare alleged that Mr. Chouhan had repeatedly misled the house. “In January 2014, the Chief Minister admitted to 1,000 fake admissions, but the scam involved many times that number,” he said.

Defending the Chief Minister, the BJP said the Congress was raising an old issue and running a political campaign against him. “If the Congress found anything wrong with the information provided by the Chief Minister, they should have raised this issue in the Assembly,” party spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said.

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deaths Noting that it will not allow even one more death, the Supreme Court transferred all criminal and death cases linked to the Vyapam scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a “fair and impartial” probe.

Far from the truth Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister gave replies contrary to facts to legislators Nov 19, 2009: FIR filed identifying nine fake examinees Mar 31, 2011: Chouhan says no impersonators have been identified Feb 23, 2012: Says candidate proofs sent to Forensic labs for verification Labs reveal samples not received

The Supreme Court has ordered a CBI probe into the multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board that has resulted in unexplained deaths of key accused and witnesses. A Trail of graft and gore 1982: Vyaysayik Pareeksha Mandel (Vyapam) set up to conduct entrance examinations for pro-fessional courses

Vyaysayik Pareeksha Mandel (Vyapam) set up to conduct entrance examinations for pro-fessional courses 2008: Recruitment tests for government Jobs also included

Recruitment tests for government Jobs also included July 5, 2009: Widespread irregularities in recruitments come to light

Widespread irregularities in recruitments come to light 2009: Medical exam paper leaked; first complaint filed

Medical exam paper leaked; first complaint filed December, 2009: Chief Minister forms panel to probe scam

Chief Minister forms panel to probe scam Jul 7, 2013: Police register FIR, arrest 20 impersonators

Police register FIR, arrest 20 impersonators Jul 16, 2013: Jag-dish Sagar, kingpin of scam, arrested

Jag-dish Sagar, kingpin of scam, arrested Aug 26, 2013: STF takes over probe, 55 FIRs registered

STF takes over probe, 55 FIRs registered Oct 9, 2013: Admissions of 345 examinees cancelled

Admissions of 345 examinees cancelled Dec 18,2013: Ex-Higher Education Minister Laxmikant Sharma booked

Ex-Higher Education Minister Laxmikant Sharma booked Jun 29, 2015: SIT says 23 people related to scam died due to 'Unnatural causes"; unofficial count puts figure at 46

SIT says 23 people related to scam died due to 'Unnatural causes"; unofficial count puts figure at 46 July 7: Chouhan agrees to CBI probe The Whistleblowers Ashish Chaturvedi, 26-year-old social activist from Gwalior, claims CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is a key player in the scam. Prashant Pandey, cyber expert roped in by the STF, retrieved key Vyapam files. Anvil Rai, Indore-based RTI activist flied a PIL which led to the probe.