Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday gave the much awaited go-ahead for prosecution of 22 doctors and five state government employees for their alleged role in the multi-crore-rupee National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam that rocked the state during the Mayawati-led government.
After this approval, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be free to register cases under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused.
While Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had been sitting over the CBI's request for prosecution of these officials and doctors, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court (HC) Aug 23 had rapped the state government for not allowing the prosecution and had asked it to expedite the necessary approvals and report back on Aug 29.
The principal secretary (health), Sanjay Agarwal, had been summoned by the HC bench of Justices Imtiaz Murtaza and Ashvani Kumar Singh Aug 23 and was asked to explain the delay.
The CBI had sent a request letter to the state government May 23 seeking prosecution of the 22 doctors and the government employees.
The HC bench also directed the CBI to present before it a detailed progress report through a written affidavit on the progress of investigations in the NRHM scam and the murder of two chief medical officers (CMO) by Aug 29.
IANS
First Published: Monday, August 27, 2012, 12:56