Railgate: Five accused sent to judicial custody till May 20

Businessman Ajay Garg, an aide of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal`s nephew, and other accused in the railway bribery scam were produced before a special court on Thursday.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Businessman Ajay Garg, an aide of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal`s nephew, and four other accused in the railway bribery scam were on Thursday sent to judicial custody till May 20 by a Delhi court. Garg had surrendered in the court yesterday. Garg, who owns a multi-crore-rupee company that supplies electrical goods to the railways, was close to Singla who was arrested for accepting a bribe of Rs 90 lakh from senior railway officer Mahesh Kumar for his (Kumar`s) appointment as member (electrical) of the powerful Railway Board. Kumar, who was GM (west) Railways, had been promoted as member (staff) in Railway Board and was allegedly trying to get himself appointed to a more lucrative post as member (electrical). 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 under Indian Penal Code`s section 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with section 7, 8 and 10 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Meanwhile, it has also been reported that the CBI will soon question Railways Minister Pawan Bansal in connection with the case. The CBI is most likely to quiz Bansal next week, as he is now under scanner following the arrest of his nephew Vijay Singla for allegedly accepting bribe to organise a plum posting for a senior official in the Railways. The CBI arrested Bansal`s nephew Singla and Mahesh Kumar, the man who was allegedly on his way to bribe him with the Rs. 90 lakhs that he was carrying, on May 4, after a two-month investigation that reportedly involved screening over 1000 phone conversations. The CBI sources alleged that Bansal`s name was mentioned in several of those conversations. It is also reportedly following up on the interrogation in custody of Mahesh Kumar, who has allegedly said that he had met Singla at Bansal`s official residence. Singla has so far maintained during his interrogation that his maternal uncle was not involved in his alleged dealings. However, CBI sources say that Singla used to visit the Rail Bhawan and spend time in the offices of the Private Secretary and Officer on Special Duty to the Railway Minister. The CBI has alleged that the Rs 90 lakh seized from Kumar was only part of a Rs 10-crore payoff that was to have secured for him a posting as member (electrical) on the Railway Board, a position with the power to transfer people and award big contracts. Kumar was a member (staff) of the board, and has now been suspended. (With PTI inputs)