CBI set to question PK Bansal this week

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to soon examine former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal to seek clarifications related to its probe of a bribery case allegedly involving his nephew Vijay Singla and suspended railway board member Mahesh Kumar.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to soon examine former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal to seek clarifications related to its probe of a bribery case allegedly involving his nephew Vijay Singla and suspended railway board member Mahesh Kumar.

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Kumar and Singla were arrested on May 3 on allegations that they had entered into a deal to fix a top post on the railway board for Rs 10 crore.

The source said, “We want to understand and establish the role of authority which was supposed to change Kumar’s job profile of railway board’s member (staff) to member (Electrical) and allow him to continue with additional charge of general manager, western railway.”

CBI investigators will quiz Bansal about his meeting with Kumar in Mumbai on April 16, during which the latter’s promotion was confirmed. The agency has evidence of this meeting.

Bansal has maintained Kumar’s promotion to the post, which is equivalent to a government secretary, was regular in terms of seniority.

Bansal will also be quizzed about certain references in the 1,000-odd telephonic intercepts made by its special unit that led to the cracking of the bribery case, which indicate Singla was allegedly in touch with senior ministry officials. The agency has so far not been able to connect Bansal with the bribery case’s money-trail, according to the source.

Bansal had resigned from the Union cabinet amid allegations that Singla had allegedly operated from his official residence and used its telephone numbers.