CBI Arrests East Coast Railways DRM In Rs 25 Lakh Bribery Case; Pune and Mumbai Firms Proprietors Also Booked

Visakhapatnam/Pune, 17th November 2024: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Saurabh Prasad, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of East Coast Railways (Waltair Division), and two others in connection with a bribery case. The accused DRM was caught accepting a ₹25 lakh bribe from Sanil Rathod, the proprietor of a Mumbai-based private firm. Another accused, Anand Bhagat, proprietor of a Pune-based private firm, was also apprehended.

During ongoing searches, the CBI has recovered approximately ₹87.6 lakh in cash, jewellery worth about ₹72 lakh, property documents, locker keys, and other incriminating items from the premises of the accused.

The alleged bribe was reportedly paid as a reward for reducing a penalty imposed on a private company for underperformance in contracts awarded by East Coast Railways. These contracts were being executed by Sanil Rathod of M/s D N Marketing (Mumbai) and Anand Bhagat of M/s HRK Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (Pune), a company controlled by Bhagat.

The CBI registered a case against DRM Saurabh Prasad, the two proprietors, and others on charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption. According to the agency, bills amounting to ₹3.17 crore raised by the private firm were pending with East Coast Railways due to delays in contract execution. To avoid paying a hefty penalty, Rathod and Bhagat allegedly approached the DRM, who demanded a ₹25 lakh bribe to reduce the penalty.

After the DRM intervened, the penalty amount was reduced, and the bill was cleared. Subsequently, Rathod arranged to pay the agreed bribe of ₹25 lakh during the DRM’s visit to Mumbai on 16th November 2024. The CBI laid a trap and arrested the DRM and Rathod during the exchange of the bribe.

Searches at the DRM’s premises in Visakhapatnam led to the recovery of ₹87.6 lakh in Indian and foreign currency, jewellery valued at ₹72 lakh, documents related to property investments, locker keys, and significant bank balances. These include investments in a flat in Kalyan and other assets.

The investigation is ongoing.