CBI on Thursday questioned the private secretary of Railway Minister PK Bansal for the second day in a row in connection with the alleged Rs 10 crore bribery scandal involving Railway Board Member Mahesh Kumar and the Minister’s nephew V Singla.
Rahul Bhandari, a 1997-batch IAS officer from Punjab cadre, reached the CBI headquarters in the morning and was confronted with his telephonic conversations with Singla. The conversation are understood to be related to elevation of Kumar in the Railway Board and his chances of becoming Member (Electrical), CBI sources said, adding Bhandari could be a crucial link in the trap case probe as the conversations are understood to refer Bansal’s name.
The sources said the agency is also likely to question three more officials who are part of Bansal’s staff including his OSD Vritul Kumar, a 1993-batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. Kumar, sources said, is related to Bansal’s family.
Following questioning of the IPS officer, the CBI would seek clarification from Bansal on a range of issues related to elevation of Kumar in the Railway Board, why he was allowed to retain additional charge of GM (West) and if any senior officer was sidelined in promoting him to Railway Board as Member (Staff), the sources said.
Bansal is likely to be quizzed about alleged references in the intercepted phone conversations of Singla, where he is said to have repeatedly referred to Bansal’s name, apparently to show his clout.
Bansal’s name crops up several times in over 1,000 phone calls intercepted by the agency over a period of two months as part of surveillance on Singla and Kumar.
Bhandari’s conversations were tapped by the agency after it put Mahesh Kumar’s and Singla’s phone on surveillance. The recorded conversations revolve around Kumar’s postings in the Railway Board, the sources said.
CBI had arrested Singla for receiving Rs 90 lakh as part payment of alleged bribe amount which was paid by Kumar to Singla through middlemen.
The seized money was allegedly a part payment of the Rs 10 crore promised for lateral shifting of Kumar from Member (Staff) to Member (Electrical), which is considered a coveted positing in the Railway Board.
During questioning, the arrested accused persons including Member of Railway Board did not sing but opened their mouths to specific questions during intense grilling by the CBI sleuths, the sources said.
On persistent queries from reporters whether Bansal would be questioned in connection with the alleged scam, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha said, “I am not aware, how can I answer (such questions.)”
Eight persons have been arrested so far in connection with the cash-for-postings scam.