As many as 40 ASHA workers were taken into custody for allegedly taking gifts from an illegally-run nursing home as an allurement for bringing expectant mothers there for the birth of their children, police said on Monday.
The Budaun administration had got information that ASHA workers were being distributed gifts as allurement by a nursing home operating illegally for bringing more expectant mothers there for delivery, District Magistrate Kumar Prashant said.
The illegally operating nursing home is allegedly being run by a Samajwadi Party leader wherein abortions were being done illegally.
The district magistrate said the raid was conducted on Sunday night at the Ayesha Nursing Home situated at Nawada in the Civil Lines area.
Mismanagement was observed during the raid and ASHA workers were also being distributed gifts there. They were being told to bring as many delivery cases and patients to the nursing home as possible.
Upon receiving information about ASHA workers getting gifts, the administration raided the place after constituting a team.
As many as 40 ASHA workers were taken into custody from the spot.
The district magistrate said that proceedings for the dismissal of the ASHA workers were underway after registering cases against them.
Apart from this, departmental action will be recommended against all those officials of the Health department who are found involved in this case during the probe.
The nursing home has also been sealed and a case registered against its owners and the staff, according to the district magistrate.
Meanwhile, the Shahjahanpur police claimed to have got a big success when they arrested two charas (cannabis) smugglers on Monday.
It is reported that the smugglers were going to sell charas from Nepal when they were arrested by the police.
The police arrested the accused Sajid and Aneesh and seized 800 grams of charas from their possession, which is said to be worth around one crore rupees.
After the arrest, the police registered a case and sent both the accused to jail.
Superintendent of Police S Anand said that the cops from Katra police station had stopped a motorcycle on suspicion. During the search, 800 grams of charas was recovered from the two riders.
During questioning, the accused confessed that they bring charas from Nepal and sell it here.