NRHM scam: CBI raids 40 locations across Delhi, UP

The anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigations conducted raids at 40 places in New Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ghaziabad and Noida on Thursday morning after new cases were filed in the National Rural Health Mission scam. The investigation agency is looking at unearthing unaccounted money to the tune of Rs 1,800 crore that was allotted to Uttar Pradesh by the Centre.

The raids were conducted at the residences and offices of UP's former health secretary Pradeep Shukla and five other members of Legislative Assembly and members of Legislative Council.

Fresh raids are being conducted at 40 places across six cities, a senior official from CBI told rediff.com.

The CBI registered three more cases on Wednesday evening and started conducting raids on Thursday morning. 

Shukla was director of the NRHM and was in-charge of distribution of money and awarding contracts to various firms to supply medicines under the NRHM. Some of the companies, which supplied the material, belong to the bureaucrats who are now being raided by the CBI.  Shukla was quizzed at the CBI headquarters in New Delhi last week. 

The central probe agency will release details of raids once the investigation is complete.

The CBI had registered five cases earlier in connection with the NRHM scam. Babu Singh Kushwaha was questioned for siphoning off funds following which UP Chief Minister Mayawati threw him out of the cabinet. 

Between 2006 and 2011, the Centre had released more than Rs 6,680 crore under the NRHM.