Railways bribery case: Accused official in CBI custody

A Delhi court Monday sent railway official Mahesh Kumar to CBI custody till May 9 in a corruption case involving a kin of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Swarna Kanta Sharma sent Mahesh Kumar to CBI custody after the agency said he allegedly paid a bribe of Rs.90 lakh to Vijay Singla, nephew of Bansal, as consideration for a posting as member (electrical) of the Railway Board.

Mahesh Kumar was presented before the court after he was brought here on a two-day transit remand from Mumbai.

"Mahesh Kumar is evasive in his answers and is not cooperating. He is not giving us proper replies," CBI Prosecutor Akshay Gautam told the court.

According to the CBI, Mahesh Kumar, who was earlier general manager (west) in the railways, had been promoted as member (staff) in the Railway Board but he tried to pay bribe to get the post of member (electrical).

The court Saturday sent Singla and three others - Sandip Goyal, Dharmendra Kumar and Vivek Kumar - to CBI custody till May 7.

On Sunday, the court sent accused Narain Rao Manjunath, managing director of G.G. Tronics India Pvt ltd, Samir Sandhir and Rahul Yadav to the probe agency's custody.

The CBI has arrested all the accused for their alleged roles in the bribe case in which a deal of Rs.10 crore was finalised for arranging for the top position in the Railway Board for Mahesh Kumar.

The first information report (FIR) was filed against eight accused -- Mahesh Kumar, member (staff) railway board, Manjunath, Goyal, Singla, Ajay Garg, Rahul Yadav, Samir Sandhir and Sushil Daga -- under Indian Penal Code's section 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with section 7, 8 and 10 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.