NRHM Scam: How a phone call nailed the shooter

With the special CBI court on Friday having convicted Anand Prakash Tiwari for the sensational murder of two chief medical officers (CMOs) in Lucknow 14 years ago, the spotlight is back on the NRHM scam, which had pulverised the state back then and ultimately became one of the reasons for the fall of Mayawati-led BSP govt. The two CMOs had been shot allegedly by Tiwari and his men as they were out on the morning walk and both the murders were linked to the NRHM scam.
WHAT IS NRHM?
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was a scheme launched by the Congress-led UPA-1 government on April 12, 2005, to provide quality healthcare to the rural population, especially to the vulnerable groups in rural areas.Over Rs 8,000 crore was disbursed to the Uttar Pradesh government, then headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP). In 2007, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by Mayawati, ousted the SP in the assembly elections and came to power.
THE SCAM
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case on the order of the high court, has alleged large-scale irregularities in the implementation of various schemes under the mission. There are allegations that over Rs 5,000 crore, disbursed to 72 Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) in the state through the NRHM, was siphoned off. The CAG report says that between April 2005 and March 2011, the State Health Mission, which was responsible for implementing NRHM schemes, “did not discharge its responsibilities adequately, resulting in Rs 5,754 crore going unaccounted for”.
MURDERS THAT BLEW THE LID
Two sensational murders brought the spotlight on the scam. On Oct 27, 2010, Lucknow CMO Dr Vinod Arya was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants in broad daylight in the city. Six months later, on April 2, 2011, another CMO, Dr BP Singh, was killed in a similar manner in the city. The police subsequently arrested deputy CMO Dr YS Sachan in connection with Singh’s murder. But on June 22, 2011, Sachan was found dead in Lucknow jail in mysterious circumstances. This led to a public outcry over alleged corruption in the NRHM, and then ruling Mayawati government, in July 2011, referred the case to the CBI. Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the Allahabad high court, and the court in Nov that year ordered a wider probe into the scam by the CBI.
THE CBI PROBE
The CBI formed a special team which arrested the then family welfare minister Babu Singh Kushwaha and the UP principal secretary (health and family welfare) Pradeep Shukla. It also conducted raids at more than 100 places across the state, and questioned hundreds of people connected with the scam. Many CMOs, along with about 40 government doctors, were detained, questioned, arrested and suspended. Owners of 200 firms supplying drugs, instruments and construction material too were questioned as the scope of the investigation kept widening.
The CBI has so far registered 74 cases, and filed 65 chargesheets, as per sources. The CBI probe has been followed by investigations by the Enforcement Directorate, which has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and attached properties of various accused, including Kushwaha. The agency recently attached assets worth close to Rs 200 crore belonging to the former state minister.
CURIOUS CASE OF DR SACHAN
On April 4, 2011, Dr YS Sachan, the deputy CMO of Lucknow, embroiled in allegations of financial irregularities related to the NRHM in UP, was arrested. His role came to light during the investigation into the murder of the two CMOs. Police said he hatched the conspiracy to eliminate Dr Singh as he had ordered a probe against him. Dr Sachan was arrested and was incarcerated at Lucknow district jail. On June 22, 2011, a day before his scheduled court appearance, Dr Sachan was found dead inside the jail. His body exhibited multiple deep cuts and was found with a belt tied around his neck, ostensibly in a suicide attempt.

The state government initially claimed it was suicide, but his family alleged foul play, suspecting he was murdered to prevent him from exposing those who ‘framed’ him. A judicial inquiry by the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Lucknow concluded that Dr Sachan’s death was homicide based on autopsy findings and circumstantial evidence.

The Allahabad High Court subsequently ordered the CBI to investigate. In Sep 2012, the CBI filed a closure report citing Dr Sachan’s death as suicide due to hanging, which was corroborated by AIIMS doctors’ opinion. Despite protests by Dr Sachan’s wife, Malti Sachan, and subsequent court orders for further investigation, the CBI filed another closure report in Aug 2017, stating no evidence of homicide. Malti Sachan persisted, filing a complaint in Nov 2019, which included testimonies and autopsy reports. A lower court rejected the closure report, but the high court upheld it in 2023. However, the case remains unresolved.
PHONE CALL NAILED THE SHOOTER
The CBI probe in the murders of Dr Vinod Arya and Dr BP Singh revealed that phone calls by accused Anand Prakash Tiwari ultimately nailed him. Tiwari was convicted by a Lucknow CBI court on June 28. Both the cases, along with other NRHM scam cases, were handed over to the CBI on the order of the high court. The CBI lodged separate FIRs in the two murder cases in July 2011. The CBI began the probe afresh but took assistance from the Luckow police and the special task force (STF) in the entire case.
A senior officer privy to the probe disclosed that slain dyCMO Dr YS Sachan had hired two shooters AP Tewari and Vinod Sharma with the help of RK Verma to eliminate two CMOs Arya and Singh as they had started getting probes done in NRHM scam. Police say Tiwari, after eliminating both the CMOs, had made a call to RK Verma telling him that ‘Kaam ho gaya’ (the job has been done).

Later, during call detail record analysis it was proved that the location of shooter Tiwari was the same as the spot of crime. The forensic evidence also showed that the weapon recovered from Tiwari was used to bump off the two CMOs.