The NRHM scam in Uttar Pradesh has turned murkier with another health official found dead under mysterious circumstances, the fifth victim in the last one year after the alleged bungling of over Rs.10,000 crore of central funds surfaced.

UP police found the body of Mahendra Sharma, an accountant, lying in a pool of blood with severe injuries on his head and face, from the Pasgawan health centre area in Lakhimpur Kheri district last evening.

52-year-old Sharma has been reported missing since February 7, police said.

The CBI, which is probing the scam, has asked the state police to beef up security of witnesses and suspects.

In 2010-11, two senior doctors associated with the health department were murdered within months of each other. Another official was found dead in a Lucknow jail. In January, a UP Jal Nigam officer allegedly committed suicide because he was being investigated in connection with the scam.

As the news of Sharma's death spread, Congress and BJP slammed the Mayawati government, accusing it of actively colluding in the "massive bungling".

Congress star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi accused the Mayawati government of misuse of funds meant for improvement of health facilities in the state.

BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said, "the larger issue is the liability of Mayawati herself as the chief minister and the earlier regime of Mulayam Singh Yadav because the entire scam was spread over last about 7-8 years."

Family members of the accountant have accused health department officials of harassment.

Mithilesh Sharma, the wife of the deceased, said that frequent transfers of her husband had depressed him. She also accused health officials of withholding his salary.

Mithilesh alleged that after solemnising their daughter's marriage on November 21 last, when Sharma reported for duty in Pasgawan, he was told about his another transfer.

Meanhwile, the CBI in New Delhi denied having questioned Sharma in connection with the probe.

"CBI has neither questioned nor summoned this person. CBI is in close touch with local police regarding safety concerns of potential witnesses, suspects, etc," a CBI spokesperson said here.

Sharma's son Tushar alleged that Sharma was being pressurised to sign some papers.

Deputy superintendent of Police R S Gautam said that both the doors of the room from where Sharma's body was recovered were bolted from inside.

He, however, said that exact cause of death could be known only after post mortem report was received.

Earlier, Sunil Verma, project manager in the Construction and Design Division of Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam, had committed suicide in Lucknow.

The NRHM scam had surfaced after the murder of two Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) Vinod Arya and B P Singh in Lucknow.

Both were shot dead last year outside their houses.

Later, another accused and deputy CMO Y S Sachan was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Lucknow Jail. His body was found hanging in the toilet of the jail hospital.

Two former ministers in Mayawati's government-- Babu Singh Kushwaha and Anant Mishra -- and several top officials in the medical and health department have been questioned by the CBI in connection with the case.

Both Kushwaha and Mishra were dropped by Mayawati for their alleged involvement in the case.