A Delhi court on Tuesday framed charges against former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal’s nephew Vijay Singla and nine others in the Rs. 10-crore cash-for-post railway bribery case.
Singla and nine others were today put on trial by a special court on charges of conspiracy and corruption.
Special CBI Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma framed charges against all the 10 accused under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC read with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The accused did not plead guilty to the offences and claimed trial in the case.
“We do not plead guilty and claim trial,” the accused said after which the court posted the matter for August 25 for commencement of recording of prosecution evidence in the case.
Congress leader Bansal, who had to resign as Railway Minister in May last year after the case came to light, has been arrayed as a prosecution witness by the CBI.
Bansal, who had to resign from his post after the case had came into light, has been arrayed as a prosecution witness by the CBI.
During the last hearing, special CBI judge Swarana Kanta Sharma ordered framing of charges under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against all the accused, including the then Member (Staff) of Railway Board Mahesh Kumar.
The court noted that CBI filed details regarding the trail of money that is the source of bribe amount as to how it was collected and the conspiracy within the conspiracy as to how accused Manjunath mobilised the bribe amount from various sources.
The probe agency has named as the accused Singla, Kumar, alleged middlemen Sandeep Goyal, Samir Sandhir, Sushil Daga, Ajay Garg, Rahul Yadav and businessman Manjunath and his aides MV Murli Krishan and Venugopal in its chargesheet filed July last year.
The court has found substantive evidence against Singla under section 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (taking gratification, for exercise of personal influence with public servant).
The probe agency had alleged that Singla had demanded Rs. 10 crore from Kumar for his appointment to the post of Member (Electrical) and it was decided between the accused that Rs 5 crore will be paid before the appointment and the rest will be paid after the job was done.
It had claimed that first tranche of around Rs. 90 lakh was given to Singla who was apprehended while accepting the money.
