Mukesh Srivastava and his wife Pooja Srivastava, have been declared as `absconder'

Congress legislator from Payagpur in Bahraich, Mukesh Srivastava and his wife Pooja Srivastava, have been declared as `absconder’ and a notices of their Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) was attached at their residence by the sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday.

Both Mukesh and Pooja, have been alleged to be involved in multi-crore rupees scam in National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), and were not turning up before the CBI which is probing the matter hence the Court declared them as `absconder’. Sources said that the CBI team which so far arrested former minister in Mayawati government, Babu Singh Kushwaha, than MlA RP Jaiswal, principal secretary (family and welfare), Pradeep Shukla and many other senior officers and doctors so far in the scam is trying to grill both Pooja and Mukesh, after their involvement also surfaced during investigation. 

Sources further confirmed that the firms in the name of MlA’s wife Pooja supplied medicines and equipments at a large scale under National Rural Health Mission after which allegations of irregularities were levelled. In 2012, CBI lodged a case of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy against the MlA and his wife. They also procured warrant against the two by the CBI court in Ghaziabad, but after all their efforts in vein to locate the duo, the CBI finally moved court to get a NBW under Section 82 of the Cr PC against both. The CBI court also declared the two as `Absconding’ and issued NBW after which the team went to Bahraich and pasted the notices. 

Sanjay Dubey, Station House Officer of  Payagpur police station also confirmed that the NBW was pasted and they would arrest Mukesh and his wife and handover them to CBI if the two were traced or appeared before them. Sources also said that if both the accused were not arrested or if they don’t surrender before the court within 15 days, the court could also order attachment of their properties. It may be mentioned that Special judge (Anti Corruption) of CBI court Atul Kumar Gupta had issued a warrant against the duo last month for not appearing before the court.