Vyapam scam: HC grants bail to former MP minister

Jabalpur, Dec 18: The Madhya Pradesh High Court today granted bail to former state minister Laxmikant Sharma, an accused in the 2012 scam of police constable recruitment examination, conducted by Vyapam (MP Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal).

Sharma, a former Technical Education Minister, who has been lodged in Bhopal jail since June 2014, is likely to walk free tomorrow after the prison authorities complete the legal formalities for his release.

A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice K K Trivedi granted bail to Sharma after his counsel told the court that other accused in the police constable recruitment test conducted by Vyapam in 2012 had got bail.

Counsel Anil Khare, Bhaskar Pandey and Praveen Verma said that their client was not the kingpin of the case. Sharma has only been accused of mediating in the case, they argued. CBI, the prosecution agency in Vypam scam, opposed the former minister's bail stating that if he was released, he would influence the ongoing probe in the massive racket.

The bench, after hearing the defence and the prosecution, directed that Sharma should be released on bail after he furnishes a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh. Earlier, the high court had granted bail to Sharma in some other scam relating to recruitment tests which were conducted by Vyapam.

PTI