Mahesh Kumar, Member (Staff) Railway Board who had allegedly paid a bribe of Rs 90 lakh to the nephew of Railway Minister P K Bansal, was suspended last night.
According to television reports, Kumar was placed under suspension after receipt of a report from CBI in the said matter. Kumar was arrested by CBI after the agency apprehended him while paying the bribe to Bansal”s nephew Vijay Singla reportedly for a plum post.
With the arrest of Kumar and another middle man Rahul Yadav, CBI claims the total number of arrests has gone to seven in the bribery case.
Earlier, two courier boys, who allegedly delivered 90 lakh rupees bribe to Bansal”s nephew for fixing the promotion of a Railway Board member, were arrested by the agency.
Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Saturday met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi and apprised them that he had not been in touch for a while with his nephew, who has been arrested for allegedly accepting a 90 lakh rupees bribe.
Bansal had earlier distanced himself from his nephew arrested by CBI in a case of bribery for allegedly fixing a top level position in Railway Board, and said that he had no business links with him and denied any wrongdoing.
64-year-old Bansal, who was made Railway Minister in October last year, also sought an expeditious CBI inquiry into the issue.
“I have always observed highest standard of probity in public life and look forward to an expeditious investigation by CBI in the matter,” he said in a statement.