Chouhan kin among beneficiaries of DMAT scam: Congress

Bhopal, Jun 13: Madhya Pradesh Congress today alleged irregularity in admissions to private medical colleges in the state and claimed its beneficiaries included a relative of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a charge strongly denied by the ruling BJP.

Demanding a judicial inquiry into the alleged scam, state Congress President Arun Yadav claimed other beneficiaries included kin of top politicians, judges, IAS and IPS officers.

"Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's wife's Jabalpur-based sister's daughter, kin of judges, IAS and IPS officers, among others, were the beneficiaries of Dental and Medical Admission Test (DMAT) scam in Madhya Pradesh," Yadav alleged at a press conference.

DMAT is conducted to fill medical and dental seats in the private colleges in the state. It is alleged that huge sums were paid by undeserving candidates to secure management quota seats in the private medical colleges.

Yadav released a list of names of what he called beneficiaries of the scam and demanded setting up of a Commission of Inquiry headed either by a retired Supreme Court or High Court Judge.

Asked about BJP allegation that his own sister figures among the beneficiaries of DMAT scam, Yadav said he is open for any probe in this regard.

The Opposition party also demanded a CBI probe into the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam (all called Vyapam scam), relating to irregularities in admission in state-run medical colleges and recruitment in Government jobs.

Yadav said despite the arrest of DMAT's former Controller Yogesh Uprit, who has reportedly claimed he used to pay Rs 10 crore whenever a new Minister took charge of Medical Education Department, the STF, which is probing the MPPEB scam, is yet to register an FIR against him.

Uprit was arrested on June 3 in Gwalior for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakh from a Jabalpur resident to help his daughter clear pre-PG medical test in 2010.

Terming Yadav's allegations as "baseless, false and unfounded," State BJP President Nandkumar Singh Chouhan said "Congress is levelling these charges as it has lost its base in the State because of popularity of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan."

"BJP strongly condemns Yadav for this act. Congress is unable to digest its humiliating defeat in the last three Assembly polls and also 2014 Lok Sabha polls and therefore it is highly demoralised," Nandkumar Chouhan said in a statement.

"The Congress' stock has fallen so low that it is now indulging in character assassination," the BJP leader asserted.

PTI