CBI chargesheet in health scam

RANCHI: The CBI on Wednesday filed chargesheet against ex-health minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi, suspended IAS officer Pradeep Kumar and 11 others in the Rs 130 crore medicine scam.
The chargesheet was filed in the court of special judge N N Singh in case number RC 11/2009 (AHDR) and named 13 people as accused. It said Shahi and Kumar had ordered the purchase of medicines and equipment not required in the state from private parties against central norms, which said the goods could be bought only from public sector undertakings.
The CBI said medicines and equipment had been purchased around 700% higher the prevailing market prices from 19 firms including some blacklisted ones. During investigation into one of the 19 firms, M/s NK Fogla and Company was found to have supplied the articles worth Rs 48.58 crore to the reproductive and child health wing of the health department.
According to the chargesheet, the state exchequer had suffered a loss of Rs 29.15 crore in the supply of medicines and equipment and around Rs 10 crore was paid as bribe to several officials of the department.
The case was registered under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The other accused in the case include ex-health secretary Siyaram Prasad Sinha, Vijay Shanker Narayan, Madan Mohan Prasad, Pradhut Mukherjee, Sadan Upadhaya and Arvind Kumar Choudhary. Some of other accused in the case are Rajesh Kumar Fogla, Nand Kumar Fogla, Rizvan Khan Farhat, Vikas Kumar and Shyamal Chakraborty.
"The scam is of around Rs 130 crore and investigation of 18 firms is still to be done," CBI public prosecutor Rakesh Prasad said. "If needed, supplementary chargesheet will also be filed against the accused."
Shahi and Kumar had surrendered to the CBI court on Saturday and Monday respectively in connection with the case after the court ordered attachment of their properties against them.
In another case, police filed a chargesheet against Khijri MLA Sawna Lakra and three of his associates for the murder of a youth Avinash Kumar Tiwari. The three other associates of Lakra were the MLA's bodyguard Janak Kumar Mahto, private driver Dinesh Lakra and personal assistant Gopi Kashyap.
The chargesheet was filed in the court of chief judicial magistrate Sita Ram Prasad and the charges were levelled against the trio under various section of the IPC and the Arms Act.
Avinash Kumar Tiwari was shot dead by Gopi Kashyap on April 25 on the orders of Lakra at his farm house by a 9mm pistol of Janak Kumar Mahto, the chargesheet.