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Bhopal CBI judge sits past 2 am to reject bail pleas as CBI chargesheets 592 accused in Vyapam scam

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Bhopal CBI judge sits past 2 am to reject bail pleas as CBI chargesheets 592 accused in Vyapam scam

CBI filed its chargesheet in the scam related to PMT 2012 exams against 592 accused including 4 Vyapam officials, 26 officials of four private medical colleges

In a first, a special CBI court in Bhopal functioned till around 2.30 am on Friday, to hear and subsequently reject anticipatory bail pleas of over 30 persons – including owners of prominent medical colleges – who were named among 592 accused in a chargesheet filed by the CBI on Thursday in connection with the multi-crore-rupee Vyapam scam.

The CBI, which is investigating complaints of a slew of irregularities in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MP-PEB) during the period between 2012 and 2013 which collectively are called the Vyapam scam, filed its chargesheet in the special CBI court with regard to malpractices during the pre-medical test (PMT) conducted by the board in 2012 on Friday.

The chargesheet names four Vyapam officials, three private persons/ racketeers; 22 middlemen; 334 Solvers & beneficiary candidates; 155 guardians of beneficiary candidates; 46 invigilators; two former officers of the state’s department of medical education, including the then Director; and 26 officials of four prominent private medical colleges based in Bhopal and Indore.

Thursday’s chargesheet by the CBI comes weeks after the agency filed a chargesheet against 490 accused persons including three Vyapam officials, three racketeers, 17 middlemen, 297 ‘solver & beneficiary’ candidates and 170 guardians of the beneficiary candidates in connection with alleged irregularities in the PMT 2013 conducted by Vyapam.

A statement issued by the CBI on Thursday evening with regard to the filing of the new chargesheet said that the agency’s probe into the irregularities committed during the PMT 2012 case “discovered that some racketeers along with their accomplices were allegedly arranging solvers for beneficiary candidates in the said examination.”

“The pairing of respective Solvers-Beneficiaries was being done by the racketeers by getting the roll numbers of these Solvers-Beneficiary candidates manipulated through Vyapam officials, such that a Beneficiary candidate was seated right behind his Solver. This enabled the Beneficiary to cheat and copy the answers from Solver. The CBI investigation also unraveled a further conspiracy including complicity of public servants of department of medical education and also management as well as college-level admission committee of four private medical colleges based at Bhopal and Indore,” the statement added.

While the allegations made by the agency against the accused persons are not new and instead are part of a pattern that can be seen in all Vyapam scam-related cases, what makesThursday’s court proceedings stand out is the decision of special CBI judge DP Mishra to continue hearing interim bail applications filed by over 30 accused well past court hours.

In proceedings that began at around 3 pm on Thursday afternoon and went on till around 2.40 am on Friday, special CBI judge DP Mishra rejected all interim bail applications moved by the accused – including pleas filed by chairman of Chirayu medical college Dr Ajay Goenka, Dr DK Satpathy, Dr Ravi Saxena, S N Saxena, Dr Vinayak Bhavsar, Dr Ashok Jain, Vinod Narkhede, and Dr S C Tiwari, People’s Medical College founding chairman Suresh Vijaywargiya, Dr Ashok Nagnath, the then joint director of People’s Medical College Dr NM Shrivastava and vice-chancellor of the People’s University Dr Vijay Kumar, among others.

During the proceedings on Thursday, the court had also issued arrest warrants against the accused persons who were not present for the Vyapam case hearing, including politically influential Ajay Goenka and Suresh Vijaywargiya, while it granted bail to 15 other accused, who had appeared before the court on the condition that they furnish bail bonds of Rs 1 lakh.

The four former Vyapam officials named in the PMT 2012 chargesheet by the CBI are then director Pankaj Trivedi, former system analysts Nitin Mohindra, Ajay Kumar Sen and CK Mishra. With the exception of Trivedi, the agency had named the others in its PMT 2013 chargesheet too.

A CBI spokesperson said about the agency’s investigation in the PMT 2012 case: “When we took over the investigation of this case, 145 accused persons were either unidentified or untraced. Majority of such accused persons were Solver candidates who in connivance with accused middlemen had given wrong addresses on their application forms and were thus, not traceable.”

The spokesperson added: “CBI used various techniques to identify these accused persons. During the course of investigation, CBI had discerned that these Solver candidates were amongst the medical college students or bright medical aspirants taking coaching in the States of MP, UP, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Maharashtra. Painstakingly, CBI collected pertinent details of students of various medical colleges and coaching institutes spread all over these States, and succeeded in preparing a database of more than 10 lakh (approx) such students.”

India News

Abhishek Banerjee says will not bow to BJP after nearly 11 hours of ED questioning

After spending nearly 11 hours before the Enforcement Directorate, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he would not bow to the BJP and accused the ruling party of using investigative agencies for political purposes.

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Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said he would not bow to the BJP after spending nearly 11 hours being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee alleged that central agencies were being used to target opposition leaders and asserted that he would continue his political fight despite what he described as sustained pressure.

The TMC leader has repeatedly maintained that investigations involving him are politically motivated, a charge he has made on several previous occasions while appearing before central agencies.

His appearance before the ED comes amid a period of heightened political activity and multiple investigations involving leaders in West Bengal. Recent days have also seen Banerjee face summons and questioning in separate matters by state investigative agencies.

After leaving the ED office, Banerjee reiterated that he would not be intimidated and said he remained committed to his political responsibilities. He also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken opposition parties through investigative action, an allegation that the BJP has rejected in the past.

The Enforcement Directorate has not publicly commented on Banerjee’s remarks. The investigation related to the questioning remains ongoing.

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India News

DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi, accuses him of weakening opposition unity

DMK has intensified its criticism of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s actions have weakened opposition unity and strained relations within the INDIA bloc.

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Rahul-Gandhi

The war of words between the DMK and Congress has intensified, with the DMK launching a strong attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusing him of contributing to divisions within the opposition alliance. The criticism comes amid strained ties between the two parties following their political split in Tamil Nadu.

According to the DMK, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach has weakened unity among opposition parties. The party’s IT wing mocked the Congress leader on social media, while an editorial published in the DMK’s official mouthpiece Murasoli questioned his recent remarks on opposition solidarity.

DMK questions Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on opposition unity

In its editorial, Murasoli argued that Rahul Gandhi was speaking about opposition unity despite, according to the DMK, contributing to disagreements among alliance partners in several states. The publication cited criticism directed at Congress by various opposition parties and suggested that the party’s actions had often created tensions within the INDIA bloc.

The editorial also referred to past political disputes involving Congress and Left parties, particularly in Kerala, claiming such episodes had raised concerns among opposition allies about Congress’s approach toward its partners.

Tamil Nadu political fallout adds to tensions

The attack comes after a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Following the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined the government led by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The move left the DMK in the opposition and significantly altered the political equation between the two former allies.

The DMK has alleged that Congress benefited from the alliance during the election and later abandoned its partner. The party’s editorial questioned whether assurances from Congress leadership would be trusted by alliance partners after the developments in Tamil Nadu.

Congress rejects allegations

Congress has not issued a detailed official response to the editorial, but party sources have rejected the allegations. According to the party, its decisions in Tamil Nadu were made in line with the mandate delivered by voters and were not intended to undermine either the DMK or the broader opposition alliance.

The latest exchange highlights growing strains between two key opposition parties even as leaders continue to stress cooperation on national issues. Just days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that the DMK remained aligned with the opposition on defending the “idea of India” despite political differences.

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Entertainment

Kumkum Bhagya actor Sanchita Ugale dies by suicide near Mumbai at 22

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, died by suicide at her residence near Mumbai. Police have launched an investigation.

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Sanchita Ugale

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for her appearances in Kumkum Bhagya, Wagle Ki Duniya and Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi, died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara East near Mumbai on June 14. She was 22.

According to police officials, the incident took place at her home in Achole village, Nalasopara East. Authorities said Ugale had locked herself inside her bedroom and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Family members and local residents rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said inquiries are underway and the exact reason behind the incident has not yet been established.

Career across television, OTT and films

Ugale had built a growing presence in the entertainment industry through television, streaming projects and films. Apart from Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, she played a lead role in Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi. She also appeared in OTT projects such as Crime Aaj Kal and Silence 2.

The actor was also associated with the film Chhaava, which contributed to her growing recognition among audiences.

Last social media post draws attention

Following news of her death, social media users shared and commented on Ugale’s final Instagram post, which had been uploaded hours before the incident. The post showed the actor in traditional attire lip-syncing to a classic Bollywood song. Fans expressed shock and grief after learning of her death.

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