NRHM scam: CBI books 3 ex-medical officers

The CBI on Wednesday booked three former senior district medical officers of Sitapur and Lakhimpur Kheri districts of Uttar Pradesh for their alleged role in the irregularities committed in the procurement of medicines in state government-run hospitals between 2005-11. The fresh cases have been registered as part of CBI’s ongoing investigations into the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam in UP.

The NRHM scam took place during the Mayawati regime. Sources said the agency has booked Dr Vijay Shankar Rai, then chief medical officer, Sitapur, along with Dr M.L.Arya and Dr Rajender Singh, both former additional CMOs of Lakhimpur Kheri district. All three former medical officers have been booked by the agency in three separate FIRs.

The first case has been registered against Dr Vijay Shankar Rai and others. “It was alleged that the then CMO entered into a criminal conspiracy with a Himachal Pradesh-based private firm and other unknown public servants working in the office of health & family welfare department and unknown private persons with the intention to cheat the government. In furtherance to the conspiracy, the public servant had allegedly splitted the indents and used fake quotation of different firms,” sources said.

The second case has been registered against Dr M.L.Arya and Dr Rajender Singh. “It was alleged that the public servants and others entered into a criminal conspiracy with two firms of Varanasi to cheat the department of health (UP government). The accused allegedly utilised the fake authority letters of manufacturing firms to show supply and receipt of required medicines. The accused also allegedly connived with the supplying firms to legalise their financial claim of having supplied the medicines as per the indents raised by the office of CMO Lakhimpur Kheri,” sources said.