CBI files two chargesheets in CMO murders

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday filed two separate chargesheets against three accused for murdering Uttar Pradesh Chief Medical Officers V K Arya and B P Singh after they started probing National Health Rural Mission irregularities and also named then deputy CMO Y S Sachan, who was found dead in Lucknow jail, in the conspiracy.

In its chargesheets filed before the special judicial magistrate here, the agency alleged that shooters Anand Prakash Tiwari and Vinod Sharma had murdered the then CMOs.

"The agency has filed charge sheet under section 120B R/w 302 (criminal conspiracy to murder) of IPC and Section 3/25/27 of Arms Act," the statement said.

The agency has also named one Ram Krishna Verma, who had allegedly hired them to murder the CMOs who grew suspicious about the alleged corruption in the NRHM schemes here and started probing them, CBI sources said.

"The then Dy CMO Dr Sachan conspired with others and hired two shooters through a contractor, all of UP-based. The accused got emboldened after Dr VK Arya's murder as the actual killers were not detected by local police at the relevant period and indulged in the second murder. Same weapons have been used by the killers in both murders," CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

The CBI investigation of these cases revealed that the motive behind the killing of Arya and B P Singh was because of various issues relating to the alleged expenditure of NRHM funds, the spokesperson said.

Arya was shot dead by two motorcycle borne assailants on October 27, 2010 when he was on his morning walk near his residence in Vikas Nagar, it said.

"Similarly on April 2, 2011 Dr B P Singh, the then CMO, Family Welfare was shot dead by motor cycle borne assailants when he was on his morning walk in  Gomti Nagar area of Lucknow. A case was registered at PS Gomti Nagar," the statement said.

The CBI took over investigations on the instructions of Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court through its order on July 27, 2011. The CBI re-registered the two cases on   July 30, 2011 and took it up for investigation.

"One accused chargesheeted earlier by local police in Dr V K Arya case Vijay Dubey has been absolved of murder charges by the CBI. Further investigation to unearth the larger conspiracy in the alleged murders will continue," it said.

The agency has also named Sudhakar Pandey suspected to be the main shooter in Singh's murder who is absconding. The state government had announced a cash reward on his head.

The agency had also recently arrested former CMO A K Shukla in connection with the murder case of Arya on charges of criminal conspiracy.