CBI registers murder case against a former UP CMO

CBI has registered a case against a former Chief Medical Office of an Uttar Pradesh district in connection with the murder of his subordinate health official, which is believed to be related to the NRHM scam in the state.
CBI sources said that on the directions of the Allahabad High Court, the agency has registered the case relating to murder of Mahendra Kumar Sharma, a senior clerk, under section 302 (murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.
They said the case has been registered against the then CMO Lakhimpur J P Bhargava, Deputy CMO Balbir Singh, another clerk Rajesh Hans, Superintendent Dr S C Gupta and Kuldip Mishra and Munna Lal Verma of UP Health Association.

The case had earlier been registered by UP police in February 2012, which has been taken over by CBI, they said.
UP police had found the body of 52-year-old Mahendra Sharma in a pool of blood with severe injuries on his head and face at the Pasgawan health centre area in Lakhimpur Kheri district on February 15, 2012.
Sharma, who had been reported missing since February 7, was believed to be the fifth person connected with the NRHM scam to have been found dead between 2011 and 12 after the alleged swindling of over Rs. 10,000 crore of central funds surfaced.

Autopsy had stated ante-mortem smothering to be the cause of the death.

Six injury marks were also found on Sharma's body.
The FIR was lodged after the victim's wife Mithilesh had approached the police. She had also demanded a CBI probe into the murder.
In her complaint, she had alleged that her husband was murdered and suspected the five officials to be behind the crime.