Indore jail authorities plan to shift 17 Vyapam scam accused to another prison

Indore: Alarmed by the death of a Vyapam scam accused under suspicious conditions in the district jail a week ago, the prison authorities in Indore are considering shifting 17 inmates allegedly involved in the scandal to another prison. On paper, the authorities cite the lack of 24-hour medical facilities in the jail, which houses 920 prisoners. The jail has only a part-time doctor, who is not generally unavailable at night.

"We will soon move a local court to shift 17 accused in Vyapam scam from here to another jail that has a proper hospital and adequate medical staff," said district Jail Superintendent R S Bhati.
The jail authorities' anxiety stems from the recent death of a man lodged in the district jail, an accused in the Vyapam scam, which is under media scanner following a spate of deaths of accused and witnesses.

On June 27, 30-year-old vetenarian Narendra Singh Tomar had suddenly fallen ill. He had died by the time he was taken to the Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital.

Tomar had been posted as Assistant Veterinary Officer at Raisen before being embroiled in the scam, a massive admission and recruitment racket allegedly involving top bureaucrats and politicians.
Whistle-blower Dr Anand Rai, who has welcomed the idea of the prison authorities, has alleged negligence on the part of the state government in providing timely treatment to Mr Tomar.

"There was no doctor present in the district hospital to treat Tomar," Mr Rai said. "At the Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital, the facilities were in a bad state due to the strike of junior doctors. Had he got adequate medical treatment on time, his life could have been saved," he said.

He said the safety of these 17 accused was necessary "to reach and arrest the big fish involved in the scam."