Sleuths of the central bureau of investigation (CBI) unearthed a bribery network linked to railway construction projects, arrested four officials of a private construction company and seized ₹45 lakh in cash. The probe agency registered an FIR against the eleven accused, including Anil Kumar, chief engineer (construction) of the East Central Railway.
The arrested were identified as Anup Singh, Managing Director of HG Infra Engineering Limited, Assistant General Manager Gaurav Kushwaha, accountant Akash Patra, and Dheeraj Virmani. All four were produced before the special CBI court in Patna, where the special judge sent them to seven days of judicial remand. A CBI official familiar with the matter said that the agency got information that huge bribes have been paid to the ECR officials in exchange for approval and clearance of bills related to construction works.
The agency had received complaints regarding irregularities, inflated bills and illegal payments in railway infrastructure projects. Following this complaint, the CBI sleuths started investigation and found that an organised and systematic bribery mechanism has been operating within the ECR’s construction department. Engineering section officials attached with the ECR allegedly worked in connivance with private contractors to facilitate payments, ignore technical objections and expedite bill approvals in return for illegal gratification, said an official.
“Separate teams have been monitoring the ECR construction office located at Mahendrughat in Patna since Wednesday. After confirming the money related activity going on between representatives of private companies and railway officials, the agency raided the premises late on Thursday and caught red handed Anup Singh. Later, CBI raided multiple locations in Patna, Dehri-on-Sone and other localities. Apart from cash, the agency seized incriminating documents, mobile phones, digital storage devices and financial records,” said a senior official, familiar with the matter. Agency officials hint that more ECR personnel are on their radar.
{{/usCountry}}“Separate teams have been monitoring the ECR construction office located at Mahendrughat in Patna since Wednesday. After confirming the money related activity going on between representatives of private companies and railway officials, the agency raided the premises late on Thursday and caught red handed Anup Singh. Later, CBI raided multiple locations in Patna, Dehri-on-Sone and other localities. Apart from cash, the agency seized incriminating documents, mobile phones, digital storage devices and financial records,” said a senior official, familiar with the matter. Agency officials hint that more ECR personnel are on their radar.
{{/usCountry}}They examine the role of officials involved in the processing, approval and release of payments. The agency also scrutinises contracts awarded to private firms, internal communications and financial transactions to identify additional beneficiaries and facilitators.
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