Faisal Fareed 
Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Jan 23: Another accused in the multi crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam ended his life by shooting himself with his licensed revolver at his residence in Vikas Nagar in Lucknow on Monday.

The incident is likely to have repurcrussions in the poll bound state with opposition leaders baying for blood of CM Mayawati.

The deceased has been identified as Sunil Verma who was posted as Assistant Engineer/Project Manager in the Construction and Design Services of Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam, the agency which was entrusted with the construction of 134 hospitals in the state under NRHM. Verma was named in the FIR lodged by CBI which is probing the case.

CBI had raided his residence on January 4. In the sucide note left by the deceased, it was mentioned that he is taking the step due to humilation after CBI raid. After the incident, his family rushed him to Shekhar Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A few months back a contractor had attempted suicide when he was quizzed by CBI by jumping on a railway track, luckily he was saved.

This is the fourth death related to NRHM scam. Earlier, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr V K Arya was sprayed with bullet in October 2010, followed by the murder of CMO Dr B P Singh in a similar manner and then the death of Deputy CMO Dr Y S Sachan inside jail under mysterious circumstances.

Presently, the case is being probed by the CBI. It has raided over 50 locations and quizzed many bigwigs including former ministers Babu Singh Kushwaha and Anant Kumar Mishra and IAS officer Pradeep Shukla, to name a few.