The Supreme Court today asked the Madhya Pradesh government to apprise it of its views on pleas seeking CBI probe into alleged irregularities in Dental and Medical Admission Test (DMAT) to fill management and NRI seats in private medical colleges in the state.
The bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu, which had earlier ordered CBI probe in the Vyapam scam cases, told the probe agency and the state government that it is "tentatively" in favour of a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in DMAT also.
"Attorney General, take the entire thing, whether the exam was conducted by government body (VYAPAM) or private body (DMAT)," the bench, also comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy, observed.
There are 15 private dental colleges and six private medical colleges in Madhya Pradesh with nearly 2,800 seats for which the Association for Private Medical and Dental Colleges (APDMC) conducts DMAT every year.
42 per cent seats fall under government quota, 43 per cent seats are for the college management and remaining 15 per cent go to NRIs.
State quota seats were filled up through VYAPAM and rest 58 per cent seats comprising management and NRI quotas were filled up through DMAT.
At the outset, Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for CBI, today expressed difficulties like the lack of manpower in taking over probe in cases relating to alleged DMAT scam.
The Attorney General, appearing for the state government, said that all the VYAPAM cases have already been transferred to CBI.
These petitions allege scam in (DMAT) examination conducted for private seats by private medical colleges and "government has nothing to do with all this. No government official is involved...," he said, while opposing a CBI probe.
Recently, the probe agency had said that around 27 per cent posts from Inspector to Additional SP level are vacant, making it impossible to take over the new cases.
"It is humbly submitted that CBI is finding it extremely hard and almost impossible to cope with the extent of cases already being investigated, including Vyapam scam cases, due to scarcity of resources particularly human resources. Apart from the Vyapam cases, CBI is already investigating more than 1,000 cases related to chit fund scam in several states," it said.
