New Delhi (dpa) – India's federal investigation agency carried out raids across Uttar Pradesh state Friday, officials said, in connection with an estimated 2-billion-dollar health project fraud. Funds meant for a federally-funded project aimed at strengthening health facilities in rural areas were allegedly siphoned off. Five people, including two government doctors, have died since the scandal came to light in 2010. Two senior government doctors and an accountant suspected of links to the case have been killed and their deaths were also being investigated. An Uttar Pradesh Health Department official was found dead in a jail in state capital Lucknow and a Water Department official suspected of links with the scandal allegedly committed suicide. The Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the case in 2011. On Tuesday, CBI officials carried out raids at more than 30 premises, mostly in Lucknow and also in the towns of Varanasi, Meerut and Bahraich, a CBI official said. Most of the premises raided belonged to medicine and medical equipment suppliers and government doctors, the official said. A state health minister was named in the case by the CBI in 2011 and was sacked by Chief Minister Mayawati. Investigators have found that millions of rupees meant for the project had disappeared with funds going to fake companies and no supplies or equipment reaching rural health centers. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/BNS5e Tags: Fraud, India, Officials, Scam Section: Health, South Asia
