High court seeks CBI response on Kushwaha bail plea

The Allahabad high court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file counter affidavit in response to a bail application moved by former BSP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha in the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam.

The scam had taken place during Bahujan Samaj Party government under Mayawati from 2007 to 2012.

Hearing a bail application filed by Kushwaha, Justice Arun Tandon directed to list this case on April 20, for the next hearing. Earlier, the CBI court, Ghaziabad had rejected the bail application of Kushwaha. The multicrore NRHM scam was investigated by the CBI and its trial is being conducted by the CBI court at Ghaziabad. After concluding investigation, the CBI has filed chargesheet against Kushwaha.

Hundreds of crores of rupees meant for buying medicines and equipment for village health centres and hospitals were siphoned off in one of the biggest NHRM scam.

HC SEEKS STATUS OF DDWO POSTS LYING VACANT

The Allahabad high court on Friday asked the state government to apprise it about posts of district disabled welfare officers (DDWO) lying vacant in the state. A division bench of chief justice DB Bhosale and justice Yashwant Varma also directed the state to inform it about steps taken for filling up such posts.

The court passed the order on a PIL filed by UP Viklang Sangh.

It alleged that the posts of DDWO were lying vacant in several districts and it is depriving the disabled persons of several beneficial schemes of the state. Appearing for the state, Ramanand Pandey, standing counsel informed the bench that as per the information provided in 2012, 18 DDWO are working and UP Public Service Commission had advertised to fill in the posts. Since the information was of 2012, the judges asked the state government counsel to provide latest information. The court will hear this case as a fresh case on April 12.