CBI arrests 6 railway officials in bribery cases in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended six railway officials across Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in connection with bribery allegations. The arrests occurred in three separate cases, with each case implicating railway officials accused of demanding and accepting bribes to expedite the processing and approval of bills related to private company work.

In the first case, three North Western Railway (NWR) officials were arrested in Jaipur. It was alleged that an Office Superintendent conspired with a private company based in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra to receive and pay illegal gratification for favorable bill processing. During a raid on August 13, the CBI seized Rs 1.46 lakh in cash, incriminating documents, and electronic devices. Searches in Jaipur and Delhi uncovered additional evidence.

The second case involved the arrest of two NWR officials in Bikaner. A Senior Section Officer was accused of demanding and accepting bribes to process bills linked to work carried out by a private company under the Bikaner division. The officer allegedly colluded with officials from a private company based in Kolkata. On August 13, the CBI arrested the Senior Section Officer and an Account Assistant from the Bikaner division, along with an employee of the Kolkata-based company. A bribe of Rs 1.20 lakh was recovered during searches in Bikaner and Jaipur.

In the third case, a Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer (Sr DME) of South East Central Railway (SECR) in Bhilai was arrested. He allegedly demanded an undue advantage of Rs 2 lakh from a complainant to clear pending bills, eventually accepting Rs 1 lakh. The CBI conducted a trap operation on August 13 and recovered Rs 50,000 as part payment of the alleged bribe.

Searches at the officer's residence and office in Raipur and Bhilai uncovered approximately Rs 77 lakh in cash and jewelry worth Rs 14 lakh. The Sr DME and the tout were arrested and produced before the court, where the court granted four days of police custody. Investigations into all three cases are ongoing.