Mahesh Kumar sent to CBI custody till May 9

Mahesh Kumar, suspended Railway Board member, who along with Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew is an accused in the Rs 10 crore bribery case, was today sent to CBI's custody till May 9 by a Delhi court on the ground that his custodial interrogation is necessary to unravel the entire conspiracy.
Special CBI Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma remanded Kumar, Member (Staff) Railway Board, in CBI's custody, saying he is the "main person" in the case and he is required to be confronted with other co-accused to whom he had assured that if he is posted as Member (Electrical) Railway Board, he will "abuse his official position" and grant them "undue and illegal favours".

"The police custody remand of accused Mahesh Kumar is all the more essential since as per the intercepted conversation and the disclosure statements recorded as yet, he remains the main person around whom the entire conspiracy revolves.
"Since accused Mahesh Kumar had allegedly assured the rest of the accused persons i.E. Narain Rao Manjunath, Rahul Yadav and Samir Sandhir that in case he is posted as Member (Electrical) Railway Board, he will abuse his official position and will grant them undue and illegal favours, he needs to be confronted with them to dig out the actual truth," the judge said.

The court said Kumar is required to be confronted with accused Sandeep Goyal, a businessman, and Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla as he was in regular touch with them and was trying to obtain posting of his liking through them only.
"In such circumstances, I grant police custody remand of accused Mahesh Kumar till May 9," the judge said.

CBI sought five days custody of Kumar saying he is the main accused in the case and his custodial interrogation was required to unearth the entire conspiracy.
It said that he is the one for whom the entire money arrangement was being made.

Besides Kumar and Singla, CBI has arrested six others for their alleged roles in the bribery case, in which a deal of Rs 10 crore was finalised between them for fixing a top-level position for Kumar in the Railway Board.