By IANS,
Ranchi : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Monday carried out searches at the residences of health department officials in Jharkhand, including former state health secretary Pradeep Kumar.
The CBI conducted searches at 13 places in Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Daltanganj, informed sources said. Pradeep Kumar’s houses in Ranchi as well as Daltanganj came under the scanner of the investigating agency.
Pradeep Kumar, who was Jharkhand health secretary till June, is presently on long leave.
The houses of two health department officials and those of two contractors were also searched by the agency, the sources said.
The state health department was in the eye of storm over allegations of corruption. When Pradeep Kumar was in office, the department had allegedly purchased equipment and vehicles without floating tenders. Medicines were also reportedly purchased at higher rates and there were accusations of fraud in the appointment of around 130 indigenous doctors.
CBI officials, however, remained tightlipped about the raids.
The investigating agency had Aug 3 raided houses of IAS official Avinash Kumar, who was the Officer on Special Duty of former Jharkhand governor Syed Sibte Razi. He was suspended Aug 25 following CBI searches at his residences.