Bribery case: Bansal resigns as Railway Minister

New Delhi, May 10 (ANI): Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who was under sharp criticism from the opposition parties after the arrest of his nephew Vijay Singla on charges of allegedly trying to fix promotion for a member in the Railway Board, put in his papers on Friday evening.

According to sources, the Railway Minister has stepped down from the Union Cabinet.

Bansal is now meeting Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the latter's official 7, Race Course Road (RCR) residence here.

The decision in this regard came soon after Congress President Sonia Gandhi met the Prime Minister and asked him to take a decision on Bansal. Congress Party earlier in the day made it clear that 'it is not going to spare anybody mired in corruption'.

"The Congress is examining the issue very seriously," Congress spokesperson Bhaktcharan Das told reporters here, when asked about the bribery allegations against Bansal.

Bansal is likely to be quizzed soon by the CBI in connection with the alleged Rs 10 crore bribery scandal involving his nephew Vijay Singla and Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar, both of whom reportedly met at his residence.

The investigating agency earlier on Thursday grilled Bansal's personal secretary Rahul Bhandari, a 1997 batch Punjab cadre IAS officer, who is believed to be privy to all the crucial decisions taken in the Railway Ministry.

A Delhi Court yesterday sent five accused, including Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla, to judicial custody till 20 May in connection with the Rs 10 crore railway bribery case.

The Special CBI Judge Swarna Kanta Sharma sent Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla, suspended Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar, and three other accused-Singla's close aide Ajay Garg, businessman Sandeep Goyal and Managing Director of GG Tronics India Pvt Ltd, Narain Rao Manjunath-to judicial custody after they were presented in court.

The CBI, which moved an application seeking to send them in judicial custody, said the investigation in this case is in progress and it is still at an initial stage.

The investigating agency told the court that crucial witnesses are yet to be examined and some documents are to be collected from various departments.

The court while accepting the CBI's plea sent all the five accused to judicial custody.

Bansal had earlier told the Congress leadership, including the Prime Minister, that he has no business links with his nephew.

64-year-old Bansal, who was made Railway Minister in October last year, also sought an expeditious CBI inquiry into the issue.

"I have always observed highest standard of probity in public life and look forward to an expeditious investigation by CBI in the matter," he said. (ANI)

At last a corrupt minister resigns.

When is Ashwini Kumar going to resign, madam?