CBI files 10 charge sheets in connection with NRHM scam

Ghaziabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed 10 charge sheets in connection with the alleged irregularities in upgrading of 89 district hospitals in Uttar Pradesh under National Rural Health Mission scheme. The charge sheets, which were filed in a special CBI court in Ghaziabad on Thursday, have named several senior doctors, government officials and businessmen.  According to sources, all the doctors and government officials named in the latest round of charge sheets were involved in procurement irregularities and violating norms. Among those named in the charge sheets are the then Chief Medical Officer Abdul Halim, district project officer Amarnath Singh and senior state service officer Abhay Kumar Vajpayee. Charge sheets have also been filed against five medicine suppliers including Moradabad-based Saurabh Jain and his wife Rajni. Nine charge sheets were filed on the basis of a single FIR with Amarnath, Lalchand Yadav, Ram Sharan Verma, Atul Kumar Singh, Chandrashekhar Kanojia and Halim named in them along with Parshuram Maurya and Girjesh Pandey. The same FIR also mentions the names of the proprietor of M/s Bhagwati Enterprises Ram Pyare Singh along with Jay Ganesh proprietors Mahendra Kumar Pandey and Nirupama Pandey and SK Distributors’ Surendra Kumar Pandey. The court will take cognisance of these charge sheets on March 6 with the CBI likely to file more charge sheets in the case. Earlier, CBI had named senior IAS officer Pradeep Shukla, UP minister Kushwaha and the then director general of health, SP Ram in the multi-crore scam. With Shukla failing to appear for hearing the court has issued a non-bailable warrant against him. PTI