The CBI has arrested five railway officers, including two of the Indian Railway Personnel Service posted at the Vadodara Division, for alleged bribery in favouring candidates in departmental examination, officials said Wednesday.
The federal probe agency seized 650 grams of gold and Rs 5 lakh cash during its searches at 11 locations, including in Gujarat’s Vadodara, a CBI spokesperson said.
The CBI has arrested 2008-batch IRPS officer Sunil Bishnoi posted as a senior divisional personnel officer in Vadodara, 2018-batch IRPS officer Ankush Wasan, posted as divisional personnel officer there, Deputy Chief Commercial Manager Sanjay Kumar Tiwari posted at Mumbai’s Churchgate, Deputy Station Superintendent Neeraj Sinha and Nursing Superintendent Dinesh Kumar posted at Divisional Railway Hospital in Ahmedabad, officials said. The agency has also arrested Mukesh Meena in the case, they said.
The CBI swung into action after registering an FIR on Tuesday against Wasan, Tiwari, Sinha and Meena on allegations that these officials in conspiracy with a private person.
They were collecting money from candidates appearing in the Railway Departmental examination by promising them selection, the agency spokesperson said in a statement.
The CBI has alleged that Wasan had directed Tiwari to compile a list of at least 10 candidates willing to pay bribes for selection in the said examination. Tiwari contacted Sinha and Meena to get in touch with such candidates and collect bribes from them, it has alleged.
The FIR alleged that Tiwari had contacted a jeweller in Vadodara to purchase around 400 grams of gold in lieu of cash without generating any invoice and he had gone to Anand where he met Meena and collected cash from him.
“During the investigation, it is also revealed that a nursing superintendent in the Western Railway was intercepted and 650 grams of gold was found with him which had been obtained by him from the jeweller after payment of around Rs 57 lakh (approx.) and the said gold was to be delivered to accused Senior Divisional Personnel Officer (IRPS: 2018) of Western Railway, Vadodara,” the statement said.
