Role of Railway Minister is under CBI scanner

CBI is likely to seek clarifications from Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal in connection with the alleged bribery scandal related to posting of suspended Railway Board Member(Staff) Mahesh Kumar involving Minister's nephew Vijay Singla.
CBI sources said agency is questioning Singla and his associates to understand "the role of authority which was supposed to change Kumar's discipline from Member (staff) to Member (Electrical) and allow him to continue with additional charge of GM (West)."
Sources in the Railway Ministry said the lateral shifting of the Board members is done in the same manner as the appointment of the new member which is finalised after vigilance clearance and the nod of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

However, they said, the authority allowing a board member to retain additional charge is the Railway Minister.
Sources in the CBI said so far there is no evidence of any money trail which leads to Bansal but added that probe has just begun and "comprehensive investigation" of the arrested accused would clear the picture.
They said during surveillance of Singla's phones, they have come across phone intercepts which show that he was in regular touch with officials close to the Minister.
CBI sources said agency has not come to any conclusion on the complicity of these officials in the alleged bribery scandal involving Singla and Kumar but it is likely to seek their clarification on certain issues.