CBI arrests former UP govt official in NRHM scam

Lucknow, Jan 7: CBI today arrested a former official of a Uttar Pradesh Government-owned public sector unit for his alleged involvement in the Rs 10,000 crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam.

Sources said the accused, G K Batra, former Managing Director of M/s Shreeton India, was arrested following ay-long intensive interrogation by agency sleuths.

CBI has so far arrested five persons including former UP Small Industries Corporation Managing Director Abhay Kumar Bajpai, former UP Jal Board General Manager P K Jain, former Director General, Family Welfare, S P Ram and trader Saurabh Jain in the case.

The agency sleuths has yesterday interrogated R R Bharti, former Director General (Family Welfare), Uttar Pradesh in the agency's Delhi office and two businessmen -- V Goyal and Neeraj Upadhyay -- in Lucknow.

They said crucial evidence has emerged so far from its ongoing investigation in the multi-crore scam.

"Various irregularities noticed during the investigation were being examined," a source said.

The agency had carried out inter-state searches at about 60 locations on January 4, including at the residence of former Uttar Pradesh minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, to probe alleged irregularities.

Kushwaha, a BSP OBC leader of the state, was sacked by UP Chief Minister Mayawati following his alleged involvement in the multi-crore scam and he has now joined BJP.

CBI had registered five cases on January 2 against certain government and private sector officials, including one against Kushwaha alleging loss of about Rs 28 crore in implementing the Centrally-sponsored scheme meant for 72 districts of UP.

NRHM funds to the tune of about Rs 10,000 crore were allocated to UP for the period 2005-06 till date by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry.

PTI