Lucknow, Jan 19 (IANS): Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths Thursday raided the residences of senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Pradeep Shukla in connection with the Rs.8,000 crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam in Uttar Pradesh.

Shukla, who had earlier held the position of principal secretary in the state health and family welfare department, is posted as member in the Board of Revenue.

The raids were part of the agency's crackdown at about 40 places across Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi that followed the registration of fresh cases against some more suspects in the scam, which also led to murder of three chief medical officers of Lucknow.

Another key accused in the case is the state's former family welfare minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, who was on the spotlight for being ushered into Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after being expelled by Chief Minister Mayawati from the BSP.

Special CBI teams reached Lucknow Thursday morning and fanned out in different directions, including the residence and commercial establishments owned by a leading local businessman whose proximity to Shukla was widely known.

Holding dual charge as NRHM director, Shukla was also responsible for distribution of money and awarding contracts to various firms to supply medicines under the scheme. CBI was stated to have unearthed some fake companies that were floated by a few bureaucrats in collaboration with local businessmen to supply medicines and equipment.

Shukla, who was earlier questioned at the CBI headquarters in New Delhi, is suspected to be one of the beneficiaries of the illegal deals.

Significantly, his wife is also an IAS officer. The couple was widely known to hold key positions, including that of Lucknow district magistrate. Shukla was also a topper of the 1980 IAS batch.