CBI Snares Railway Official in High-Stakes Corruption Case

A senior railway manager and several private firm proprietors were arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting a hefty bribe to reduce penalties on underperformed contracts. Massive sums of cash and valuables were uncovered in a probe, further unveiling corruption within the East Coast Railways' operations.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained a Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) from the East Coast Railways' Waltair Division in Visakhapatnam. The DRM was caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakh from the proprietor of a Mumbai-based private firm.

This bribe is claimed to have been a reward for mitigating penalties imposed due to underperformance in contracts from the East Coast Railways. The contracts were being executed by two proprietors from Mumbai and Pune-based firms, both of whom have also been apprehended.

During ongoing investigations, cash amounting to Rs 87.6 lakh, jewelry valued at approximately Rs 72 lakh, and several incriminating documents have been unearthed. The arrests shed light on allegations of widespread corruption and criminal conspiracy within the railway operations.

(With inputs from agencies.)