Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested four individuals on Saturday, February 17, in two separate cases for alleged bribery.
The first case was filed against the Senior Section Engineer (Electrical), South Central Railway, in Tirupati over allegations of demanding bribes to clear pending bills.
It was alleged that the complainant (the director of a private company) was allotted a railway tender for the installation of a 750-volt power supply for the maintenance of HOG coaches in washing or sick lines at the maintenance depot or shed at Tirupati, amounting to Rs. 2.56 crore. It is stated that two bills of the complainant were cleared, amounting to Rs. 1.99 lakh.
It was further alleged that during the course of processing and payment of bills, SSE (Electrical), SC Railway, Tirupati, and others harassed the complainant for payment of illegal gratification. It was also alleged that since the demand was not fulfilled, the harassment kept on increasing.
In order to complete the pending work and place the final bill, an extension was sought by the complainant’s company. It was further alleged that the complainant, thereafter, met the accused SSE, who instructed the complainant to execute the trenching work and horizontal drilling bore at Chandragiri Railway Station, which allegedly was not related to the contract of the complainant.
When the complainant visited the office of SSE and requested to process the pending bill, the said SSE allegedly demanded Rs. 2.75 lahks for processing the same. On negotiation, the accused SSE allegedly asked to pay Rs. 40,000 to initiate the processing of said bill.
CBI laid a trap and said SSE was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs. 40, 000. During further trap proceedings, the role of ADEE, South Central Railway, Tirupati, emerged, and he was also caught while accepting a Rs. 20, 000 bribe.
The accused were arrested and produced before the Special Judge for CBI Cases, Kurnool, on Saturday, and were remanded to judicial custody until March 1, 2024.
Another case
In the second matter, CBI registered a case against the Senior Section Engineer (SSE), Sanpada, Central Railway, Mumbai, on allegations of demanding bribes from the complainant for passing his bill and the release of CRN. The accused allegedly demanded a 3 percent commission as a bribe from the complainant through Paytm to be transferred to a middleman.
It was stated that the complainant was running a firm in Delhi and dealing in the supply of materials to Central Railways. It was also alleged that during August 2023, the complainant’s firm received an order for supply of material from Central Railway Sampada Store Depot against the bid for supply of 3000 kg of light-weight body filler, and the firm supplied the materials in October 2023.
The bill for the same allegedly remained pending with SSE, Central Railway, Mumbai.
CBI laid a trap and caught the middleman, who received payment on behalf of accused SSE through Paytm. The accused, SSE, was also apprehended.
Searches are being carried out at the premises of the accused in both cases.
