A Delhi local court on Tuesday charged former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal’s nephew Vijay Singla and nine others with criminal conspiracy and corruption in connection to the `10 crore cash-for-post railway bribery case.
Paving the way for a trial, Special CBI Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma charged Singla under section 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which can send him to jail for up to five years.
Singla was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 90 lakh to promote railway official Mahesh Kumar.
The court charged Kumar with criminal misconduct under the act, which carries a penalty of maximum seven years in prison.
The accused plead not guilty to the charges and opted for a trial. Recording of evidence in the case will begin on August 25.
Congress leader Bansal, who resigned from his post on May 2 following Singla’s arrest, has been arrayed as a prosecution witness by the CBI in its charge sheet filed last year.
The agency had alleged that Singla had demanded R10 crore from Kumar for his appointment to the post of Member (Electrical) and it was decided between the accused that R5 crore would be paid before the appointment and the rest after the job.
{{/usCountry}}The agency had alleged that Singla had demanded R10 crore from Kumar for his appointment to the post of Member (Electrical) and it was decided between the accused that R5 crore would be paid before the appointment and the rest after the job.
{{/usCountry}}It had claimed that first tranche of around R90 lakh was given to Singla who was apprehended while accepting the money.