The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the Chief Office Superintendent, DRM Office, Western Railway, Mumbai for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a complainant (representative of a private company), officials informed on Friday.
The accused railway official has been identified as Sanjay Waghela.
Vashi resident had complained to CBI
According to the CBI, a written complaint dated 22.02.2024, addressed to the CBI, had been received from a Vashi resident against Waghela, for demand of undue advantage of Rs 50,000 from him.
"It is alleged in the complaint that the complainant is working as a liaisoning agent for his client company. This company is supplying various Railway materials to Western Railways. The company is a regular supplier of Western Railways without any default. The company used to submit bills against supplying material to Western Railways for payments and the complainant used to follow up on behalf of said company, with the Accounts department of Western Railways for timely passing and payments of bills," said a CBI official.
Waghela demanded Rs 100 per Lakh of the total billed amount
He added, "Recently, the company supplied material to Western Railways and had submitted three bills amounting to Rs.4.80 crore against the material supplied, to the accounts department of Western Railway. Waghela is the processing officer at the Accounts section of DRM Office, Mumbai Central, Western Railways. On 15.02.2024, when the complainant went to meet Waghela he demanded a bribe of Rs100 per Lakh of the total billed amount of Rs 4.80 crores (approximately Rs 50000 as bribe) from the complainant, for processing bills. The allegation mentioned in the complaint has been discreetly verified in the presence of Panch witnesses, which confirmed the demand of undue advantage of Rs 50,000 by Waghela from the complainant."
The CBI had laid a trap and apprehended the accused while accepting said bribe of Rs 50,000 in his office at Mumbai. Searches were conducted at two locations at the premises of the accused, which led to recovery of incriminating documents, etc. The arrested accused was later produced before the Competent Court in Mumbai on Friday.
