This Article is From Aug 30, 2012

Uttar Pradesh health scam: Court slams CBI for poor investigation

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has expressed dissatisfaction with the CBI probe into the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam and the murder of two Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) in Lucknow.

"Nothing substantial has been done in the last two-three months by the CBI in the investigation of these cases," the court observed after the investigating officers of the CBI submitted a sealed status report on the probe into murder of two CMOs - V K Arya and B P Singh.

The court directed the Superintendent of Police of CBI along with the two investigating officers to appear in person on the next date of hearing on September 12.

The observation was made by a division bench of Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza and Justice Ashwani Kumar Singh on Wednesday while hearing a Public Interest Litigation or PIL.

On behalf of the state government, Additional Advocate General Raj Bahadur Singh Yadav submitted order of prosecution sanction against 34 health department employees, including doctors.

Last Thursday, the state government gave an undertaking in the court to take a decision on prosecution sanction against 34 public servants allegedly involved in the scam at Lucknow CMO's office by August 29.

Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, Sanjay Agarwal gave the undertaking before the bench of Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza and Justice Ashwani Kumar Singh after he was summoned for personal appearance.

Following the undertaking by the government, the court had fixed the date of hearing. The CBI had also filed an affidavit that it would take 30 days to complete investigation into alleged irregularities in procurement of medicines at CMO office, Lucknow.

Earlier, the CBI pleaded before the court that prosecution sanction of 34 doctors and other staff, including former CMO Lucknow A K Shukla was pending with the government since May this year.

The court had directed the CBI to submit progress report in the murder cases of two CMOs on the next date of hearing.

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