Jharkhand delays sanction to prosecute tainted bureaucrat
January 10th, 2011 - 2:56 pm ICT by IANSRanchi, Jan 10 (IANS) The Arjun Munda-led Jharkhand government is delaying granting approval to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute a senior bureaucrat accused of a Rs.130-crore health scam, an official said.According to sources, the CBI had sought approval from the Jharkhand government to prosecute former health secretary and senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Pradeep Kumar in November last year.
He was suspended after the CBI raided his house in connection with a National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam in August 2009. Investment documents worth at least Rs.72 lakh were seized from his possession, including Rs.47 lakh worth of fixed deposit documents, investment documents worth over Rs.25 lakh and documents of flats in New Delhi and Udaipur.
Kumar has been named in the case for misusing his official position and “fraudulently and dishonestly” purchasing medicines, medical equipment and appliances worth over Rs.130 crore for hospitals from 19 suppliers.
But the state government’s tardy response is holding up the case.
“We sought prosecution approval against five senior government officials, including Pradeep Kumar. Once we get the approval, we will file a chargesheet in the court,” a source in CBI told IANS, adding that the agency had enough proof to nail Kumar.
“Two months have passed but the state government has yet to respond to the CBI’s request,” a state government official told IANS.
The opposition parties say the delay was due to Pradeep Kumar’s proximity to Chief Minister Arjun Munda.
- CBI probe likely in Jharkhand land scam: Munda - Sep 06, 2011
- Jharkhand yet to suspend IAS official facing graft charges - Sep 30, 2009
- Former Jharkhand health secretary jailed for corruption - Aug 08, 2011
- Minister, officials took Rs.8.50 crore bribes in health scam - Aug 11, 2011
- Investment papers worth Rs.72 lakh seized from Jharkhand bureaucrat - Sep 01, 2009
- Rajya Sabha poll: BJP says Munda government safe - May 02, 2012
- CBI probe okayed into Jharkhand police funds scam - Oct 16, 2010
- Jharkhand offers cash rewards for 10 Maoists' capture - May 29, 2012
- CBI seeks prosecution of 16 officials in Jharkhand bitumen scam - Sep 23, 2010
- Senior IAS officer arrested in NRHM scam - May 10, 2012
- Bitumen scam: Jharkhand suspends two engineers - Nov 02, 2010
- Munda completes one year amid political turbulence - Sep 11, 2011
- Jharkhand plans to appoint two more advisors - May 19, 2011
- NRHM scam: IAS officer arrested, sent to CBI custody (Lead) - May 10, 2012
- Jharkhand bureaucrat under CBI scanner for Rs.1.3 bn scam (Lead) - Aug 31, 2009
Tags: arjun, bureaucrat, cbi, central bureau of investigation, chief minister, crore, deposit documents, former health, government official, health secretary, indian administrative service, jharkhand government, lakh, medical equipment, national rural health, national rural health mission, opposition parties, pradeep kumar, state government, udaipur