Railway bribery case: CBI questions Pawan Kumar Bansal as a witness(Update/Pawan Bansal)

Former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a witness on Tuesday in connection with the recent railway bribery case.

Bansal is under the scanner for his role in the appointment of suspended railway board member (Staff) Mahesh Kumar for which his nephew Vijay Singla was caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 90 lakh.

Bansal had to resign from the Union Cabinet in the aftermath of the case involving his nephew, who is alleged to have been operating from his official residence.

Bansal has maintained that he has done no wrong in the appointment of Mahesh Kumar as member of the railway board, a post equivalent to the secretary in the government.

CBI has managed to secure all files pertaining to the appointment and also recorded the statement of Mahesh Kumar.

Bansal is alleged to have met Mahesh Kumar in Mumbai on April 16 and the agency claimed that during this meeting the appointment of Kumar, who was general manager (West), was confirmed.

The CBI has so far arrested nine persons in the case.