CBI quizzes Bansal's private secretary

The CBI on Thursday interrogated Railway  Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal’s Personal Secretary Rahul Bhandari in connection with railway bribery scam.

Meanwhile, five accused in the scam including Vijay Singla, a nephew of  Bansal and suspended Member of Railway Board Mahesh Kumar were remanded in judicial custody till May 20 by a Special CBI court.

Bhandari was quizzed for his alleged  telephone  conversations with Vijay Singla, said sources. Conversations taped by the agency centres around the possibility of promotion of Mahesh Kumar to the post of Member (electrical) Railway Board, said sources.
Bhabdari is an IAS officer of the Punjab cadre.

Sources also claimed that conversations have references of Bansal too. They said that it might lead to seeking clarification from the railway minister and interrogation of some more staff of the minister.

Meanwhile, accused Vijay Singla, Mahesh Kumar, Ajay Garg, businessman Sandeep Goyal and managing director GG Tronics India NR Manjunath were Thursday produced before the court of special Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma after the expiry of their CBI custody.

The CBI has applied to the court for their judicial custody on the grounds that crucial witnesses are to be examined and documents collected from various departments have to be looked into. The CBI said the offences are of serious nature and accused are influential persons, so it wanted them in  judicial custody. The plea was later accepted and the accused were sent to judicial custody.

On Tuesday, Four other accused including Vivek Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar, Rahul Yadav and businessman Samir Sandhir were remanded in judicial custody till May 20. One accused, Sushil Dagga, is yet to be arrested.
Sharad Yadav’s demand

Janata Dal-United(JDU) Chief Sharad Yadav on Thursday changed his stand on Railway Minister Pawn Kumar Bansal and demanded his removal.

“According to the reports coming in public domain, his relatives have become millionaire and their businesses have been multiplied many times in a short span of time of ten years. How can our democracy survive this way?” asked Yadav.