CBI Swoops in on East Coast Railway Bribery Scandal

The CBI has nabbed a senior official of the East Coast Railway and two others for allegedly engaging in a bribery scandal. The arrests, other incriminating seizures, and ongoing investigations underscore a tangled web of corruption threatening the integrity of railway contracts.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained a top official of the East Coast Railway on charges of accepting a hefty bribe, amounting to Rs 25 lakh. The accused, Saurabh Prasad, was taken into custody in Mumbai over the weekend.

Prasad, a seasoned bureaucrat, is suspected of receiving the bribe from Sanil Rathod, the owner of D N Marketing. The alleged exchange was reportedly aimed at reducing penalties levied on Rathod's contracts with the railway and facilitating the clearance of pending bills totalling Rs 3.17 crore.

The CBI's extensive probe has also led to the arrests of Rathod and Anand Bhagat of HRK Solutions. Raids conducted across key locations unearthed significant evidence, including cash and property documents, adding weight to the charge sheet poised to unravel this high-profile corruption case.

(With inputs from agencies.)