CBI Arrested Five Including Former Railway Officer In Bribery

CBI arrested five including a former railway officer in bribery.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the former Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Railways for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50 lakh.

It is alleged that the officer had collected a bribe of crores of rupees through a director of a Chennai-based company in lieu of award of various tenders during his two years of service.

Out of this, Rs 5.89 crore was deposited with the directors of the company. Four others have also been arrested in the case.

According to the CBI, AK Kathpal, a 1984 batch Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineer (IRSME) cadre officer, was earlier posted at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.

Kathpal was arrested when he was receiving Rs 50 lakh as the second installment of the bribe proceeds from the director of Universal Engineers Chennai Pvt Ltd, Hamsa Venugopalan.

When Kathpal was in service, he had taken a bribe through Venugopalan. The agency raided nine places, including the house of Kathpal.

During this, Rs 2.75 crore was seized from his brother Sanjay. The CBI believes that the cash belongs to Kathpal.

During the raids on Monday, about 23 kg of gold was also recovered from its locations in Delhi and Chennai. The first installment of a Rs 50 lakh bribe was taken by Sanjay from the company.

According to CBI spokesperson RC Joshi, ‘The accused was posted in ICF from February 2019 to March 31, 2021.

During this, he took bribes from private companies and others. He used to control the bribe money through a private company official and pass it on to his brother through a Delhi-based lady colleague.

Supreme Court refuses to acquit Personnel Secretary from contempt proceedings.

SC has refused to acquit the Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training from contempt proceedings for alleged violation of status quo order on the promotion of Central Government employees.

Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, argued that facts have been suppressed in the contempt petition and only temporary and ad-hoc promotions have been made.

On this basis, he requested the apex court to acquit the secretary.

Although L. A bench of Nageswara Rao and Justice Aniruddha Bose declined to accept the Attorney General’s argument and adjourned the matter to the second week of August.