Title - Delay in filing charge sheet in Railway bribery case

The CBI is unlikely to file a charge sheet in the Railway bribery scam within the stipulated time period of 60 days – which comes to an end on Tuesday - owing to the absence of a sanction for prosecuting suspended Railway Board Member (Staff) Mahesh Kumar.

As a result, all the accused in the case are likely to be grantedbail. “In the want of a prosecution sanction, we are not in a position to file the charge sheet against the main accused and the others,” said a CBI official.

The agency had written toauthorities concerned seeking prosecution sanction against Kumar and listing evidence showing that he had purportedly entered into a conspiracy to be appointed as Board Member (Electrical). However, the CBI did not receive any communication granting sanction till Monday evening.

CBI investigations have revealed that Kumar allegedly struck a Rs.10-crore deal with the nephew of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, Vijay Singla, and his associates, for appointment. He had also allegedly agreed to make an interim payment of Rs.2 crore to secure an additional charge of GM (Western Railway and Signal and Telecommunication) until he got posted as Member (Electrical).