Vyapam Scam Whistle-blower Anand Rai arrested from Delhi Hotel

Bhopal: The crime branch of Madhya Pradesh arrested Vyapam scam whistle-blower Dr Anand Rai from a Delhi hotel room after Thursday midnight in connection with a case of forgery filed by an officer posted in the state Secretariat.

Rai, who had recently ‘exposed’ the alleged leak of the Madhya Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test 2022 paper and was the medical officer at Indore’s Hukumchand Hospital, was arrested hours after his suspension for sharing photos of the leak on social media and for dereliction of duty.

“Rai was arrested from Delhi shortly after Thursday midnight,” Bhopal crime branch assistant commissioner of police Shivpal Singh Kushwaha told news agency PTI.

He is being brought to Bhopal, he added.

Sources close to Rai said that he had gone to Delhi to move the Supreme Court (SC) for relief in the forgery case. The Madhya Pradesh High Court (HC) had dismissed his petition seeking quashing of the FIR on Thursday.

Minutes after the arrest, around 11 pm, Rai tweeted tagging senior Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha that the Bhopal crime branch had arrested him from Delhi’s Hotel Kabli and asked the “workers and well-wishers” to reach Bhopal.

मुझे दिल्ली से होटल काबली से क्राइम ब्रांच भोपाल ने हिरासत में ले लिया है, सभी कार्यकर्ता शुभचिंतक भोपाल पहुँचे @VTankha @KapilSibal

— Office Of Dr Anand Rai (@anandrai177) April 7, 2022

Terming the arrest illegal and replying to Rai’s tweet, Tankha, who is also his counsel in the case, posted on Twitter: “It’s shocking that Madhya Pradesh police has arrested Rai without any warrant from Delhi’s hotel. Delhi police should not allow arrest without any warrant in its jurisdictions, legally. The arrest is entirely illegal. 

#VYAPAM व्हिसिल ब्लोआर @anandrai177 को भोपाल क्राइम ब्रांच ने किया गिरफ्तार।

साथ ही मध्य प्रदेश सरकार ने शासकीय सेवा से निलम्बित भी कर दिया।

हाल में @PEB_Bhopal की परीक्षा में हुए पेपर लीक के बाद राय ने CM के OSD को घेरते हुए जांच की मांग की थी। इसके बाद इनपर FIR दर्ज़ हुई थी। https://t.co/Ua3gMxtQsr pic.twitter.com/Gogm0Ly4qA

— काश/if Kakvi (@KashifKakvi) April 8, 2022

Tankha also approached the SC, according to NDTV, seeking an early hearing of Rai’s petition against the HC order. A Bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana will hear the petition on April 11.

Last month, Laxman Singh Markam, the officer on special duty to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, had lodged an FIR accusing Rai and state Congress chief spokesperson KK Mishra of trying to drag his name into the paper leak.

सीएम शिवराज सिंह चौहान के OSD लक्ष्मण सिंह मरकाम ने कांग्रेस नेता @KKMishraINC और VYAPAM व्हिसिलब्लोअर @anandrai177 के खिलाफ़ SC/ST सहित 9 धाराओं में मामला दर्ज़ करवाया।

दोनों ने मरकाम पर शुक्रवार को समाप्त हुई TET वर्ग 3 की परिक्षा का क्वेश्चन पेपर लीक करने का इल्ज़ाम लगाया था। pic.twitter.com/01Z5GwvDSF

— काश/if Kakvi (@KashifKakvi) March 27, 2022

A purported screenshot of the leaked question-cum-answer sheet had gone viral on social media in which the name of one Laxman Singh was visible. After it went viral, Mishra and Rai tweeted the screenshot demanding a forensic inquiry of Laxman’s mobile phone to get clarity. Markam has accused Rai and Mishra of tarnishing his image.

The exam was conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Karmachari Chayan Aayog (Staff Selection Board), which was earlier known as Vyavsayik Pareeksha Mandal (Vyapam).