CBI has arrested another former UP official in the ten thousand crore rupee National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam.

The former official of Uttar Pradesh Government-owned public sector unit G.K. Batra was arrested for his alleged involvement in the scam. The arrest of the former Managing Director of M/s Shreeton India follows a day-long intensive interrogation by the agency sleuths.

CBI has so far arrested five persons in the scam. They include former UP Small Industries Corporation Managing Director Abhay Kumar Bajpai, former UP Jal Board General Manager P.K. Jain, former Director General, Family Welfare, S.P. Ram and trader Saurabh Jain in the case.

The agency sleuths had yesterday interrogated R R Bharti, former Director General (Family Welfare) Uttar Pradesh at the agency's Delhi office and two businessmen V Goyal and Neeraj Upadhyay in Lucknow.

They said crucial evidence has emerged from the ongoing investigation in the multi-crore rupees scam.

The agency had earlier carried out inter-state searches at about 60 locations on Wednesday including the residence of former Uttar Pradesh minister Babu Singh Kushwaha.

Kushwaha, a BSP OBC leader of the state, was sacked by UP Chief Minister Ms Mayawati following his alleged involvement in the scam. Mr. Kushwaha has now joined BJP.

CBI had registered five cases 5 days ago against certain government and private sector officials, including one against Kushwaha alleging a loss of about Rs 28 crore in implementing the Centrally-sponsored scheme meant for 72 districts of UP.

NRHM funds to the tune of about Rs 10,000 crore were allocated to UP for the period 2005-06 till date by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry.