CR official, liaison agent under CBI’s scanner for corruption

CBI probes CR official & liaison agent for alleged bribes in exchange for favors to private firms. Examining cash deposits & transactions.

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken a Central Railway (CR) official and a liaison agent, who represent over nine private firms, under their scanner to probe allegations related to grant of favour in lieu of bribes.

A team of the Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested constable Vikas, posted at Durga Shakti-2 in Gurugram district, red-handed while allegedly taking a bribe of ₹20,000. The accused cop was demanding a bribe from the complainant in lieu of not raiding his fast-food shop located in Sector 33. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/ Representational image)

The CBI initiated its probe recently against the CR official, who is posted as a Chief Depot Material Superintendent in Jalgaon, the liaison agent and unknown others, based on “source information” under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act for offences related to criminal conspiracy, accepting of undue advantage by public servant and offence relating to bribing of public servant, an agency source said.

The agency started their probe based on the information that the liaison agent was allegedly in the habit of regularly approaching certain offices of CR in Mumbai, to offer bribes in return for illicit favours for the over nine private firms represented by him, the source said.

The CBI probe later learnt that the CR official under its scanner in the case was allegedly a “compromised public servant and who accepts such undue advantage” from the liaison agent regularly, the source said. The agency is also probing allegations that the liaison agent allegedly gave undue advantage to the accused official in return for favours to two of the private firms represented by the former, which had supplied material to the railway.

As part of its probe, the CBI has examined certain cash deposits to a bank account held in the name of a relative of the accused official, including a particular transaction related to the deposit of ₹7,100, said agency sources.