Railgate: CBI names Pawan Kumar Bansal as witness

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal as a prosecution witness in the Rs10-crore `cash-and-post' railway recruitment scam, in which his nephew is an accused.

The CBI had, on Tuesday, filed charges against Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla and nine others, including a then Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar, for their involvement in the railway recruitment scam.

CBI has named 90 prosecution witnesses in its chargesheet, in which Bansal is the 39th witness.

The agency has filed charges against Singla, Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar, MD of Bangalore-based G G Tronics India Private Limited Narayana Rao Manjunath, middlemen Ajay Garg and Sandeep Goyal, Rahul Yadav, Samir Sandhir, Sushil Daga, C V Venugopal and M V Murali Krishan in the case.

Barring Murali and Venugopal, CBI has arrested all the eight accused and all have been charged with offences of criminal conspiracy under the IPC and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Special CBI Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma has, however, summoned Murali and Venugopal, who have not been arrested in the case, to appear before it on 11 July when further proceedings in the matter start.

CBI has also not named the two courier boys who delivered the bribe money in the chargesheet.

Besides Bansal, the agency has named ex-Railway Board chairman Vinay Mittal, who retired from his post on 1 July this year, as a prosecution witness in the case.

Railway Board's joint secretary (confidential), P Rajeshkaran and joint director vigilance (Int) R Vijayan Nair, has also been named as witnesses by the CBI.

Besides them, several officials from various banks have been named as witnesses.