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Another NRHM accused commits suicide in UP

Former Director UP Rural Health Mission and former CMO Dr Pawan Kumar Srivastava shot himself on Wednesday at his resident in Vivekpuram Colony in Gorakhpur

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Another accused in the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam committed suicide with his licensed revolver on Wednesday in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Former Director UP Rural Health Mission and former CMO Dr Pawan Kumar Srivastava shot himself on Wednesday at his resident in Vivekpuram Colony in Gorakhpur. He was rushed to the hospital where he was declared brought dead. Dr Srivastava was an accused in Rs 5,000 crore NRHM scam probed by the CBI.

Family sources claimed that he was under tremendous pressure ever since he retired in 2010 after his name was dragged into the NRHM scam along with former BSP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, other politicians, several bureaucrats, CMOs and rural health department officials.

"He was innocent but named in the scam at the behest of a top bureaucrat and politician," charged a close relative. He is survived by wife, a son and daughter.

Since then he was under depression and was being treated. Dr Srivastava was particularly annoyed over his personal appearance before the CBI Court every month. He was to appear before the CBI Court in Delhi on January 15.

Like Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, the NRHM scam in Uttar Pradesh has also taken a few lives. Before Dr Srivasatava, another accused former CMO Dr Sunil Verma had shot himself with his licensed revolver in January 2012.

When the scam was unearthed by the CAG and inquiry was handed over to the CBI, then Deputy Chief Medical Officer Y.S. Chauhan, who was also an accused in the NRHM scam, was murdered in Lucknow jail in 2010. He was the first to be arrested in connection with the scam.

Later, the CBI had arrested the main accused former BSP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha and then top bureaucrat former Principal Secretary Medical Health Pradeep Shukla in connection with the NRHM scam. Shukla was an IAS topper of 1981 batch in the civil services. His wife Anuradha Shukla is also a UP Cadre IAS officer.

Two other accused in the NRHM scam, Chief Medical Officers Dr Vinod Arya and Dr V.P. Singh were shot dead by unidentified assailants in 2010 and 2011 respcetivey in similar fashion when had gone for morning stroll. In the last seven years, three murders and two suicides have taken place in connection with NRHM scam in Uttar Pradesh.

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