PATNA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested three Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officers, including Chief Freight Transport Manager (CFTM) and two others after busting a racket of collection of bribery from vendors of East Central Railways for preferential of freight rakes in the Hajipur-headquartered East Central Railway (ECR). The CBI registered an FIR in this regard at Patna on Sunday.
The arrested persons have been identified as CFTM Sanjay Kumar (IRTS-1996), ECR officials Rupesh Kumar (senior divisional operational manager (DOM), Samastipur) , and Sachin Mishra (senior DOM, Sonpur); Nawal Ladha of Abha Agro Industries Private Ltd and Abha Agro Export Private Ltd, Manoj Ladha, and Manoj Kumar Saha.
“Director of private company based at Kolkata pursuant to a well-knit conspiracy with public servants of East Central Railway, regularly avails out of turn and priority allotment of railway rack services, having extra stacking time for his firm and other undue advantages in exchange of payment of huge bribes on monthly basis to the said public servants. It was also alleged that the director of private company directed his brother to send Rs. 23.5 lakh (approx) to be delivered to various officers of ECR,” the CBI stated in a press statement issued on Monday.
The CBI further stated that it laid a trap and caught the CFTM while accepting the bribe of Rs 6 lakh. The bribe giver was also caught. Later, three other accused were caught.
Searches were conducted at 16 locations including at Patna, Sonpur, Hajipur, Samastipur and Kolkata, which led to recovery of various incriminating documents and Rs. 46.50 lakh including Rs 29 lakh from a businessman at Kolkata. A SUV car, in which six envelopes containing said cash to be delivered to various officers of ECR, was also recovered.
The FIRE lodged by the CBI at Patna stated that Ladha in a well knit conspiracy involving CFTM Sanjay Kumar, senior DOMs Rupesh Kumar, Sachin Mishra and some other officers of ECR, Bihar, regularly avails out of turn and priority allotment of railway rack services, having extra stacking time for his firm and other undue advantages in exchange of payment of huge bribes on monthly basis to the ECR officials.
