GHAZIABAD: The CBI on Monday filed charge-sheet against senior IAS officer Pradeep Shukla in connection with alleged irregularities in upgrading of 89 district hospitals in the state, under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme, causing a loss of Rs 16 crore to the exchequer.
The agency had received sanction to prosecute Shukla on November 30 from the Centre after that a charge-sheet was filed before special CBI court in Ghaziabad on Monday.
Shukla and officials of UP Processing and Construction Cooperative Federation Ltd (PACCFED), including its managing director V K Chowdhary, the then director general of family welfare S P Ram, Moradabad-based businessman Saurabh Jain, and his firms were booked by the agency in January this year.
While remaining accused were chargesheeted in May this year, the charge-sheet against Shukla was pending because CBI was awaiting sanction for his prosecution.
The 55-year-old IAS officer was the NRHM mission director and principal secretary, family welfare, when the Rs 5,700 crore scam allegedly took place during the BSP rule. He was arrested by the agency in May but was released on bail. After his release, Shukla joined back as member Revenue Board but the UP government issued orders of him being "deemed suspended".
CBI alleged officials of PACCFED favoured ineligible firms and released payment of Rs 16.93 crore on the basis of forged documents.
In its charge-sheet, the agency alleged Shukla along with Ram entered in criminal conspiracy with private firms and gave contract related to upgrading of district hospitals in Uttar Pradesh worth Rs 89 crore on the basis of forged documents.
Out of Rs 16 crore loss caused to exchequer, more than Rs 13 crore was allegedly cornered by Jain, close confidante of former family welfare minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, who used it to bribe public servants and also invested in various companies.
Earlier on Novemver 26, the agency was pulled up by the Supreme Court for delay in proceedings against Shukla and other accused. The court expressed surprise that CBI had been waiting for sanction for prosecuting its officials, including Shukla, in the scam despite its order that sanction would be deemed to have been granted if the competent authority refused to decide it within three months.
The SC observation came while hearing the plea challanging Allahabad High Court's order to monitor the investigation into the scam. Shukla had pleaded before the high court to quash the FIRs registered against him as, he claimed, the CBI had not taken proper sanction for his prosecution from the Department of Personnel and Training. However, he did not get any relief. Instead, the High Court expressed displeasure over the delay in investigation and prosecution.
The NRHM scam came to the fore last year after two CMOs of Lucknow were shot dead one after another in six months time. The CBI inquiry was ordered by the high court on a public interest litigation.
Babu Singh Kushwaha, who was minister in the BSP regime, was sacked by then chief minister Mayawati. In March this year, Kushwaha was arrested along with 15 others. The CBI was hyperactive during the assembly elections held earlier this year in February-March but slowed down later.
Source: TOI
The agency had received sanction to prosecute Shukla on November 30 from the Centre after that a charge-sheet was filed before special CBI court in Ghaziabad on Monday.
Shukla and officials of UP Processing and Construction Cooperative Federation Ltd (PACCFED), including its managing director V K Chowdhary, the then director general of family welfare S P Ram, Moradabad-based businessman Saurabh Jain, and his firms were booked by the agency in January this year.
While remaining accused were chargesheeted in May this year, the charge-sheet against Shukla was pending because CBI was awaiting sanction for his prosecution.
The 55-year-old IAS officer was the NRHM mission director and principal secretary, family welfare, when the Rs 5,700 crore scam allegedly took place during the BSP rule. He was arrested by the agency in May but was released on bail. After his release, Shukla joined back as member Revenue Board but the UP government issued orders of him being "deemed suspended".
CBI alleged officials of PACCFED favoured ineligible firms and released payment of Rs 16.93 crore on the basis of forged documents.
In its charge-sheet, the agency alleged Shukla along with Ram entered in criminal conspiracy with private firms and gave contract related to upgrading of district hospitals in Uttar Pradesh worth Rs 89 crore on the basis of forged documents.
Out of Rs 16 crore loss caused to exchequer, more than Rs 13 crore was allegedly cornered by Jain, close confidante of former family welfare minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, who used it to bribe public servants and also invested in various companies.
Earlier on Novemver 26, the agency was pulled up by the Supreme Court for delay in proceedings against Shukla and other accused. The court expressed surprise that CBI had been waiting for sanction for prosecuting its officials, including Shukla, in the scam despite its order that sanction would be deemed to have been granted if the competent authority refused to decide it within three months.
The SC observation came while hearing the plea challanging Allahabad High Court's order to monitor the investigation into the scam. Shukla had pleaded before the high court to quash the FIRs registered against him as, he claimed, the CBI had not taken proper sanction for his prosecution from the Department of Personnel and Training. However, he did not get any relief. Instead, the High Court expressed displeasure over the delay in investigation and prosecution.
The NRHM scam came to the fore last year after two CMOs of Lucknow were shot dead one after another in six months time. The CBI inquiry was ordered by the high court on a public interest litigation.
Babu Singh Kushwaha, who was minister in the BSP regime, was sacked by then chief minister Mayawati. In March this year, Kushwaha was arrested along with 15 others. The CBI was hyperactive during the assembly elections held earlier this year in February-March but slowed down later.
Source: TOI
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