Railgate -Reports

Railway bribery: Close aide of Pawan Bansal's nephew surrenders

Arunima, CNN-IBN | Updated May 07, 2013

New Delhi: There seems to be more trouble for Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal as his nephew Vijay Singla's close aide Ajay Garg is also in the CBI net. Garg has surrendered in a Delhi court in connection with the cash-for-jobs scam in the railways.
The CBI had launched a manhunt for Garg after questioning Singla and the other accused in the cash-for-jobs scam in the Indian Railways. Sources say Garg was questioned in Chandigarh. The court will pronounce an order on his surrender application soon.
Garg has been named in the FIR as one of the suspects present when the Rs 90 lakh bribe amount was exchanged. Nine people have been arrested in the case so far.
Sources had earlier told CNN-IBN that the CBI has procured data from Bansal's office and residence to zero in on how many times his nephew Vijay Singla or railway supplier Sandeep Goyal visited him. Sources say that the CBI will now verify from Bansal whether Singla was acting on his own or using the minister's name as a front as there is evidence that Singla was in touch with the top brass of the Railway Ministry.
CNN-IBN has learned that the CBI is also probing Bansal's relatives' roles in recent postings and transfers in the Railway Protection Force. The CBI investigation has now revealed that the bribery case of Rs 90 lakh may not well be a tip of an iceberg.
CBI sources say they are now probing a major jobs for sale nexus between RPF officers association and middlemen, adding that the recent transfers, postings and promotions in RPF are not on merit. The CBI probe has widened after interrogation of Vijay Singla and Ajay Garg.
CBI sources have told CNN-IBN that Bansal's Singla and Garg are involved in many transfer postings in Railways. Sources say Singla was in regular touch with all senior railway officials for jobs and contracts.
The CBI investigation that has been going on for the past 1.5 months has also revealed that the suspended railway board member Mahesh Kumar's deal was that he promised two contractors to pay for him the amount of Rs 10 crore for the post of member electrical in lure of future contracts. Having intercepted calls as well the CBI is now trying to get data from Pawan Bansal's residence to ascertain as to who all among the accused were in touch with him.