The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday, 5 June arrested Narayan Singh Bundela, Deputy Chief Engineer-II (Construction) of the West Central Railway, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹1 lakh from a contractor in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. The agency confirmed the arrest in an official statement, marking one of several recent anti-corruption actions by the CBI across government departments.

What the CBI Alleged

According to the CBI, a case was registered on 4 June following a complaint that Bundela had demanded an undue advantage of ₹1 lakh in exchange for facilitating the release of a security deposit, clearing pending bills, and processing Price Variation Clause (PVC) dues amounting to approximately ₹1 crore. The bribe was allegedly the price for routine contractual obligations that the official was duty-bound to discharge.

How the Trap Was Laid

Acting on the complaint, CBI operatives set up a trap and apprehended Bundela red-handed while he was allegedly accepting the bribe amount from the complainant in Sagar. The accused was subsequently produced before the competent court in Jabalpur on the same day.

Cash and Documents Recovered

Searches conducted at premises linked to the accused yielded ₹62,000 in unaccounted cash from his guest house room. Investigators also recovered documents at his residence that reportedly relate to investments in real estate. Both the cash and the documents are under examination as part of the ongoing investigation.

Pattern of Recent CBI Anti-Corruption Actions

The arrest is part of a broader enforcement pattern. On 1 June, the CBI arrested the Branch Manager of the State Bank of India (SBI) in Godda district, Jharkhand in a separate bribery case. In the last week of May, the agency also arrested Satish Kumar Sharma, a Nominated Member of the Meerut Cantonment Board in Uttar Pradesh, after catching him red-handed accepting a bribe of ₹3 lakh. This is the third such trap-and-arrest operation by the CBI within a fortnight, suggesting a sustained anti-graft drive across central government entities.

What Happens Next

The CBI investigation into Bundela is ongoing, with the recovered real estate documents likely to be scrutinised for disproportionate assets. The case will proceed through the designated CBI court in Jabalpur. Depending on findings, investigators may expand the scope to examine whether the bribery was an isolated act or part of a systemic pattern within the construction wing of West Central Railway.