Rail Neer racket: Three accused remanded in judicial custody

A special court here on Friday sent to 14 days' judicial custody two railways officials and a businessman, arrested in connection with the supply of inferior-quality packaged drinking water in premium trains.

Central Bureau of Investigation Special Judge Vinod Kumar remanded railways officers Sandeep Silas and M.S. Chalia and businessman Sharan Bihari Agarwal to judicial custody after police said they were not required for further custodial interrogation.

They were presented in the court after the expiry of their five-day police custody.

The CBI arrested the trio on Saturday.

Sandeep Silas is a 1984-batch Indian Railway Traffic Service officer. Chalia, the second railways officer, came under the CBI scanner due to the alleged involvement of his son's company in the scam.

The CBI suspected that the private catering companies could have paid illegal remittances to the accused officer through a company run by his son for favours shown to them for the supply of inferior packaged drinking water on premium trains.

On Friday, the CBI registered a case against Chalia, Silas and seven private companies - RK Associates Pvt. Ltd., Satyam Caterers Pvt. Ltd., Ambuj Hotel and Real Estate, PK Associates Pvt. Ltd., Sunsine Pvt. Ltd., Brandavan Food Product and Food World - under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.