NRHM scam: CBI arrests former UP govt official

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday 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.

The 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 had on Friday 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.

The 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.