Vyapam scam: Two days after bail, accused mining baron Sudhir Sharma walks out of jail

Two days after he was granted bail by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Vyapam scam accused mining baron Sudhir Sharma walked out of the jail in Bhopal on Friday to an enthusiastic welcome by his supporters.

Sharma was released from the prison at around 4.30 PM, jail superintendent Akhilesh Tomar said. He first visited a Hanuman temple near the prison where his supporters, who had come in 50-odd vehicles, mostly SUVs, burst fire crackers, distributed sweets, and garlanded him. "I am innocent. I have full faith in judiciary. I will get justice," Sharma told reporters after his release from the prison after nearly two years.

To a question, he ruled out possibility of political conspiracy behind his arrest. During his 692-day in jail, he wrote a Hindi book titled 'Aisi hoti Jail', he said, adding he plans to help NGOs that work for jail inmates. The High Court had on June 22 granted him bail in three cases related to the Vyapam (MP Professional Exam Board) scam as other accused in these cases were already out on bail.

He had got bail in another Vyapam-related case earlier. 

The Special Task Force (STF) of MP police - which was probing the massive racket where recruitment examinations for various government posts and educational courses were allegedly rigged - had arrested Sharma in four cases in July 2014. He is accused of helping at least 12 persons clear the contractual teacher grade II, police constable, platoon commander and forest guards recruitment examinations through illegal means.