Kushwaha alleges torture in CBI custody

Former Uttar Pradesh minister Babu Singh Kushwaha has alleged that he was "tortured" in the Central Bureau of Investigation custody during interrogations. "The CBI tortured us during interrogations for ten days," said the sacked Bahujan Samaj Party minister, while he along with another accused, former BSP MLA Ram Pratap Jaiswal, were being taken to Dasna prison on Tuesday.

While talking to media at the entry gate of the prison, Kushwaha said that both of them gave full co-operation to the agency during the interrogations, even though they were "tortured".

A special CBI court had on Tuesday remanded Kushwaha and Jaiswal in judicial custody for 14 days in the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission scam in the state.

The two politicians, arrested on March 3, were produced in the CBI court after the expiry of their 10 days custody with CBI.

Jaiswal's son also moved an application in the court about "unhygienic" food being served to them. He also alleged in the application that both of them were deprived of sleep in the custody.

"Former principal secretary health Pradeep Shukla was called in presence of CBI officials, and both of us proved that we were not in position to take any decision and Mayawati was only in power to allocate funds and decide the policy matter and they were only to implement her decisions," Kushwaha said.