On Sunday, November 17, Saurabh Prasad, the DRM of East Coast Railway, Waltair Divison, was arrested by the CBI while taking a bribe of Rs 25 lakhs from a Mumbai-based businessman. Another businessman from Pune was arrested in the same CBI operation in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
The CBI has informed that apart from the Rs 25 lakh bribe amount, the probe agency has seized cash worth Rs 87 lakh, and jewellery worth around Rs 72 lakh from the Vishakhapatnam residence of the DRM.
CBI ARRESTS DRM (IRSME :1991) OF EAST COAST RAILWAY VISAKHAPATNAM WHILE ACCEPTING BRIBE OF RS 25 LAKH FROM AN ACCUSED PRO. OF A PVT FIRM; PRO. OF ANOTHER PVT FIRM ALSO ARRESTED AND CASH OF RS 87.6 LAKH ALONG WITH JEWELLERY WORTH ABOUT 72 LAKH RECOVERED DURING ON-GOING SEARCHES pic.twitter.com/JhVqqNau4o
— Central Bureau of Investigation (India) (@CBIHeadquarters) November 17, 2024
Bills amounting to around Rs 3.17 crores raised by a private company were pending from East Coast Railways. The same company was also facing a heavy penalty due to delays caused in the execution of the contract. The accused DRM reportedly demanded a bribe of Rs 25 lakhs to clear the bills and remove the penalty amount.
The CBI laid a trap and arrested the businessman and the DRM while the bribe was being given. The CBI has also seized many documents related to properties and investments made by the DRM in multiple localities in Mumbai.
