New Delhi, Nov 19 (NationPress) In a significant operation targeting suspected corruption within the East Central Railway (ECR), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken into custody four individuals, including a high-ranking railway official and several representatives from a private construction firm, linked to a bribery scheme involving nearly Rs 1 crore, as announced by the agency on Wednesday.

The arrests resulted from a coordinated action based on what the agency termed as “reliable information” regarding a collusion between public officials and private contractors.

The detainees include Alok Kumar, Deputy Chief Engineer (Construction) at ECR Hajipur; Alok Kumar Das, Office Superintendent in the same department; Govind Bhullar, also known as Aman Bhullar, Project Manager of M/s JPW Infratech; and Suraj Prasad, an employee of the aforementioned firm.

According to the CBI, the agency initiated a case on November 17 after receiving trustworthy tips indicating that the Deputy Chief Engineer, his subordinates, and officials of JPW Infratech were purportedly involved in bribery activities.

They allegedly provided undue benefits to the construction firm by ignoring the use of substandard materials in ongoing railway projects, resulting in significant losses to the government and illicit profits for the accused.

On the same day, investigators set a trap, during which Office Superintendent Alok Kumar Das was reportedly apprehended while accepting a bribe from representatives of the construction company.

Both Bhullar and Prasad, who were at the scene, were swiftly arrested. In a notable recovery, the CBI confiscated Rs 98,81,500 in cash, hidden in eight envelopes, packets, and bags labeled with various names and identifiers.

"A substantial cash amount of Rs 98 lakh 81 thousand and 500 found in 8 different envelopes/packets/bags with distinct markings/names was recovered outside the accused public servant's office," noted the CBI in its press release.

Furthermore, the FIR-named accused Deputy Chief Engineer was also detained, interrogated, and arrested in connection with the case,” the agency added.

The cash was located outside the office of the implicated public servant. Following the operation, the CBI also detained and interrogated Deputy Chief Engineer Alok Kumar, who was arrested after establishing his alleged involvement.

Search operations have been conducted at 11 locations—five in Bihar, one in Jharkhand, three in Chhattisgarh, and two in West Bengal—with additional searches ongoing.

The arrested individuals were presented before a competent court, which has authorized custodial interrogation by the CBI as the agency continues its probe into the suspected bribery network within the railway construction division.