The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the divisional railway manager (DRM) of East Coast Railways, Waltair Division, Visakhapatnam, while accepting a bribe of Rs25 lakh from a proprietor of a Mumbai-based private firm. Another accused, the proprietor of a Pune-based private firm, was also arrested.
During searches, the CBI recovered Rs87.6 lakh in cash, jewellery, property documents, locker keys, and other incriminating items. The bribe was allegedly paid to reduce the penalty imposed on a private firm for underperformance in a contract awarded by East Coast Railways, which was being executed by the Mumbai and Pune firms.
The arrested persons include Saurabh Prasad, DRM of East Coast Railways, Sanil Rathod, proprietor of M/s D N Marketing, Mumbai, and Anand Bhagat of M/s HRK Solutions Pvt Ltd, Pune. The CBI registered a case against the DRM, the two proprietors, and others for criminal conspiracy and corrupt practices.
It was alleged that bills amounting to Rs3.17 crore raised by the private firm were delayed due to a penalty imposed for contract execution delays. To evade this penalty, the accused proprietors approached the DRM, who demanded Rs25 lakh to reduce the penalty. Following his intervention, a reduced penalty was imposed, and the bill was cleared. The agreed bribe was then arranged to be paid during the DRM’s visit to Mumbai on November 16.
CBI laid a trap and caught the DRM and the Mumbai-based proprietor during the bribe exchange. Searches at the DRM’s premises in Visakhapatnam led to the recovery of Rs87.6 lakh in Indian and foreign currency, jewellery valued at Rs72 lakh, and documents related to investments, locker keys, and bank balances.
