Northern Railway: CBI arrests SrDEE & SSE in a bribery case including a private vendor
The recovery of significant assets, including ₹63.85 lakh in cash, gold bars and ornaments valued at approximately ₹3.46 crore, and various documents related to property ownership
Investigations led to the operation of a locker held by the wife of SrDEE Saket Chand Srivastava, where additional gold ornaments and bars worth over ₹2.5 crore were recovered
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (#CBI) has arrested three individuals, including a Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer/General (#SrDEE/G) and a Senior Section Engineer (#SSE), both officers from the Delhi Division, #NorthernRailway, and a private vendor, in connection with a major bribery scandal.
The arrests took place immediately after the exchange of a bribe amounting to ₹7 lakh. The amount was allegedly being paid to the officers for extending favours to a Delhi-based private company linked to the vendor.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Saket Chand Srivastava, SrDEE/General, and Tapendra Singh Gurjar, SSE, both serving in the DRM Office of Delhi Division, Northern Railway in New Delhi, along with Gautam Chawla, a private vendor associated with M/s #VatsalInfotech Private Limited, Delhi.
CBI officials say the officers demanded and accepted the bribe in return for favouring the company, which included awarding work orders and clearing pending bills for various private entities.
In addition to the arrests, CBI officials conducted multiple searches across nine locations, including the residential and official premises of the accused officers. The search resulted in the recovery of significant assets, including ₹63.85 lakh in cash, gold bars and ornaments valued at approximately ₹3.46 crore, and various documents related to property ownership, mobile phones, laptops, hard drives, and statements confirming the payment of bribes.
Further investigations led to the operation of a locker held by the wife of SrDEE Saket Chand Srivastava, where additional gold ornaments and bars worth over ₹2.5 crore were recovered. The assets seized and the evidence collected have significantly deepened the scope of the investigation, which is ongoing, say the agency officials.
The CBI has registered a case involving seven accused individuals, including the arrested officers and private vendors, in addition to the private companies linked to the accused. Those named in the FIR include:
- #SaketChandSrivastava – SrDEE/General, DRM Office, Delhi Division, Northern Railway, New Delhi (arrested)
- #TapendraSinghGurjar – SSE/Electrical/General Branch, DRM Office, Delhi Division, Northern Railway, New Delhi (arrested)
- #ArunJindal – SSE (In-Charge of Tender Section), Electrical/General Branch, DRM Office, Delhi Division, Northern Railway, New Delhi
- #GautamChawla – M/s Vatsal Infotech Private Limited, Delhi (arrested)
- M/s #VatsalInfotech Private Limited, Delhi
- #SaketKumar – Director, M/s Shivmani Enterprises Private Limited, Ghaziabad
- M/s #ShivmaniEnterprises Private Limited, Ghaziabad and other unknown private persons and public servants
The investigation has exposed a network of #corruption involving multiple individuals and entities, with public servants allegedly accepting illegal gratification in exchange for unfair advantages.