The three accused arrested in connection with a corruption case related to the supply of Rail Neer, a packaged drinking water in premium trains, were remanded in 14-day judicial custody by a Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Friday.
Special CBI judge Vinod Kumar remanded two senior rail officers — Sandeep Silas and MS Chalia and a businessman Sharan Bihari Agrawal — to judicial custody after the CBI submitted that they were not required for further custodial interrogation as of now.
“All the three accused are remanded to 14-day jusicial custody,” the judge said. The accused were presented before the court after completion of their five-day CBI custody.
According to the probe agency, Silas and Chalia colluded with Agrawal and instead of taking Rail Neer, they had allowed some private firms to supply water in super fast trains like Rajdhani, which resulted in a loss of Rs6.25 crore to the exchequer. Searches were conducted during the investigation and approximately Rs28 crore cash was recovered out of which around Rs4 lakh was counterfeit, the CBI said.
Silas is a 1984-batch Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer, and Chalia a 1987 batch officer. These two officers were taken into custody on Saturday night along with Agrawal, owner of RK Associates, in connection with the scam.
The CBI, besides them, has also registered case against seven private companies — RK Associates Pvt ltd, Satyam Caterers Pvt ltd, Ambuj Hotel and Real Estate, PK Associates Pvt ltd, Sunsine Pvt ltd, Brandavan Food Product and Food World — under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.
The probe agency also alleged that the two accused officials, who held the position of Chief Commercial Manager, had shown favour to these private firms in supply of cheap packaged drinking water other than ‘Rail Neer’ which is mandatory in premium trains including Rajdhani and Shatabdi.
It had said the Railway Board had prescribed that IRCTC shall provide Rail Neer at the rate of around Rs10.50 per bottle to private caterers and they would be paid (approx) Rs15 per bottle for supplying the same to the passengers in premium trains.
However, in order to make undue gains, private suppliers were allegedly supplying cheap packaged water, other than ‘Rail Neer’, available in the market at a rate of Rs5.70 to Rs7 (approx) per bottle, thereby making profit for themselves and loss to the exchequer. CBI said the directions of Railway Board to ensure supply of ‘Rail Neer’ in premium trains were also ignored by the officials thereby causing undue pecuniary advantage to private parties and corresponding loss to the IRCTC.