The central bureau of investigation (CBI) is likely to tighten noose around Anant Kumar Mishra, former health minister of Uttar Pradesh and Navneet Sehgal, a 1988 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, in connection with cases related to the national rural health mission (NRHM) scam. The CBI has lodged an FIR against Anant Kumar Mishra. 

The agency in its preliminary investigation has found evidence of siphoning of funds from the NRHM projects against Mishra. The investigating agency is likely to question Mishra again and may arrest him early next month.

The CBI took over the probe into the NRHM scam after instructions from the Allahabad high court. The scam surfaced after the murders of two Lucknow-based chief medical officers (CMOs) in broad daylight. The murders were believed to be a handiwork of those who masterminded the defalcation of the huge sum of money meant to improve public healthcare.

After the arrest of senior IAS officer Pradeep Shukla, the CBI is all set to trigger a mild tremor in political and bureaucratic circles of Uttar Pradesh by laying their hands on certain high-profile politicians and bureaucrats who have evaded arrests so far.