It may be mentioned here that about 2,000 persons involved either directly or indirectly in the scam are behind bars and more than a thousand are still wanted. According an analysis done by a local English newspaper, out of total 37 deaths, at least 23 were 'unnatural'.

These include nine persons who died of various illnesses or unknown reasons; another ten who met their end in road mishaps and four who committed suicide. These figures are based on a report submitted to MP High Court by the Special Task Force (STF) of the state police, which is probing the scam.

On June 27 and 28, two more accused died. The latest death was that of Narendra Singh Tomar, 29 who was lodged in the Indore Central Jail. Two contradictory reasons have been given regarding his death. While the Jail authorities said that Tomar was taken to hospital after he complained of chest pain, the spokesman of the hospital, where he was admitted, said that he was brought for treatment of abdominal pain. The father of Tomar alleged that he was murdered saying that it was highly unlikely that a 29-year-old would get a heart attack – as is being claimed by the jail authorities.

A pharmacist Vijay Singh, also allegedly involved in the scam, was found dead in Chhattisgarh a few weeks ago. Opposition parties allege that scam-related deaths seemed to be the handiwork of those who want to silence persons in the know of the truth. Investigations showed that there are at least 13 other persons, not mentioned in STF documents, whose deaths have remained in the realm of suspicion.

Among these are 13 students, who allegedly cracked the pre-medical test by fraudulent means and a former dean of Jabalpur Medical College Dr. DK Sakalle, who died of burn injuries in his own home in what is still an unsolved case. Police said that he had committed suicide. Sources said when Sakalle died in July last year; he was in the midst of scrutinising documents of MBBS students who were under the scanner. On July 1, a leading doctor of Jabalpur who also happens to be the President of the local unit of Indian Medical Association, convened a press conference to allege that Sakalle was murdered and that Laser technology was used to kill him. 'He was himself a top doctor. Why would he self-immolate, when he knew many painless methods of embracing death? Why was his postmortem conducted by three junior doctors in a hurried manner? Why was his viscera not preserved?' the doctor sought to know.

The state Home Minister Babulal Gaur, meanwhile, has termed the deaths as natural, rejecting an Opposition demand for a CBI probe. 'Jo aaya hai, woh jayega' (One who has come, will go), was his explanation. But the STF’s affidavits filed before the High Court paint the picture of a possible conspiracy or worse. Investigators concede that each of these deaths affected the probe. Sources said the dead include those who were part of the racket that helped candidates crack examinations, middlemen, youth who paid money for selection, witnesses and whistle-blowers.

Many of those linked to the scam are high-profile persons. The state Governor Ramnaresh Yadav's son Shailesh Yadav was also allegedly involved in the scam and was found dead in his Lucknow home in mysterious circumstances, before he could be interrogated. The Governor was also booked but the High Court later quashed the FIR, while allowing the STF to question Yadav.

Sources, however, pointed out that the deaths began long before the scam surfaced in 2013. Deepak Verma, a medical student and suspected middleman was killed in a road accident in 2010. His name, however, is not in the list of 23 names the STF had placed before the High Court as “unnatural deaths”. Nor is that of Lalit Golaria, a student whose body was found under a bridge in Morena and of Namrata Damor, another student, whose body found on a railway track in Ujjain.

STF officials insist that not all deaths were suspicious as they include those who died either because of a failed love affair, in a road mishap or due to natural causes, but agree that every death affects investigation. “With each death, the link to scamsters in the particular probe is severed, as those connected to the person become untraceable. There are more than 55 cases and the deaths affect investigation in these cases,” said an STF official.

Apart from the deaths, many have alleged threats to their lives. Whistle-blower Ashish Chaturvedi, 25, has been threatened several times, prompting the Delhi High Court to order police protection for him. Another whistleblower Prashant Pandey shifted to Delhi after he was allegedly attacked.

Meanwhile relations of many accused who are in jail have demanded security. Such a demand has also been made by brother of former minister Laxmikant Sharma, who has completed one year in the prison. The mysterious deaths reports have triggered a sharp political controversy. Digvijay Singh, Congress general secretary has sought Supreme Court, intervention. (IPA Service)