Pawan Kumar Bansal distances himself from arrested nephew

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Denying any wrongdoing, Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Saturday distanced himself from his nephew who was arrested on Friday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 90 lakh for fixing a top level position in the government. Bansal said he has "always followed utmost probity in public life" and added he was "looking forward to an expeditious CBI inquiry into the matter". "I neither have any business relations with my nephew nor have done any financial transactions with him," the minister stated categorically. "Regarding yesterday`s incident involving my sister`s firm in a CBI raid at Chandigarh, I have to say that I have no knowledge or proof about the matter at all. Though a close relative, he or any other relative of mine does not and cannot meddle in my official function or influence my decision. There is also no business relationship between his and my family," the minister stated. Bansal`s nephew, Vijay Singla, was held by the CBI, which also arrested three other persons, including a railway official. "Mahesh Kumar, a railway official, and three others identified as Vijay Singla, Sandeep Goel and Manjunath were booked for bribery. Mahesh Kumar had given Rs 90 lakh to the three to ensure his promotion. The money has been seized," a CBI official said here. Searches were also conducted on Singla`s house in Chandigarh. The Railway Minister, however, has not yet ordered any departmental inquiry into the matter. (With PTI inputs)