J&K court directs ACB to file status report on complaint seeking FIR in ‘scam’ in health insurance scheme implementation

Jammu, Sep 15 (PTI) A court here on Friday directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau to submit by September 26 the latest status of the complaint to the CBI seeking registration of an FIR in an alleged scam of Rs 500-700 crore in the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat-Jan Arogya Yojana in Jammu and Kashmir.

In the complaint application filed by advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed, it has been submitted that after getting RTI information from the State Health Agency and the Health and Medical Education Department of the government of Jammu and Kashmir, it has been prima facie established that a scam of Rs 500-700 crore took place in the implementation of the health insurance scheme in the Union territory.

The complainant lodged a complaint with the SBI on October 10 last year seeking registration of an FIR in the matter.

Ahmed submitted before the court that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) did nothing in the matter, prompting him to move a court on February 7 this year seeking directions to the agency to submit the status of his complaint.

He further submitted that pursuant to the directions passed by the special judge (anti-corruption), the CBI filed a status report wherein it was divulged that the complaint had been forwarded by the CBI to the Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau on April 19 this year.

Ahmed submitted that almost five months have passed since the CBI moved the complaint to the ACB but the bureau is sitting on the matter.

After hearing the submissions, Additional Sessions Judge (Anti-Corruption) O P Bhagat directed the ACB to file the status report by or before the next date of hearing on September 26.