Mumbai: CBI arrested Central Railway’s (CR) chief electrical distribution engineer after he allegedly accepted a Rs 10-lakh bribe from two persons to award a contract to their company listed on the stock exchange. The bribe-givers were nabbed too.During a subsequent search of the residence of the CR official, Ramesh Kumar Chauve, the agency recovered Rs 90.8 lakh in cash hidden separately, along with jewellery worth Rs 42.5 lakh and other investment-related documents. The bribe was recovered from his office drawer, along with another Rs 3.9 lakh. According to CBI, Chauve demanded a 1% commission (Rs 40 lakh) on a Rs 40.5-crore contract awarded to the company. He was caught after he accepted the first instalment. The agency produced the three arrested accused before a court on Tuesday, which remanded them in one day of CBI custody. CBI was tipped off about Chauve’s involvement in corrupt practices and kept a watch on him. On Monday, two persons representing the company visited his office chamber and came out after delivering the Rs 10-lakh bribe to him. A CBI team waiting outside caught them. On being confronted, they revealed the bribe details. The team then entered Chauve’s office and searched the premises, which led to the recovery of the cash. At the same time, CBI conducted searches at five locations of the three accused in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Karjat, including Chauve’s house.The company representative who was caught with Chauve and paid the bribe had secured many railway electrification contracts. Chauve was a 2003 batch officer of Indian Railway Services of Electrical Engineers. According to the railway website, the chief electrical distribution engineer is the technical head of the electrical traction distribution system and looks after planning, maintenance, operation and periodic overhauling of traction distribution assets.
