Bribery case: Bansal's nephew, 4 others remanded in custody

Five accused, including Railway Minister P K Bansal's nephew and suspended member (staff) in the railway board, were on Thursday remanded in judicial custody till May 20 by a Delhi court in connection with the Rs 10 crore railway bribery case.

Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla, Mahesh Kumar, the suspended railway board member, 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, were produced before Special Central Bureau of Investigation Judge Swarna Kanta Sharma after expiry of their CBI custody.

The CBI moved an application seeking to send them in judicial custody, saying the investigation in the case is in progress and it is still at an initial stage. The agency told the court that crucial witnesses are yet to be examined and some documents are to be collected from various departments.

It said since the allegations against the accused are serious in nature and they are influential persons, they should be remanded in judicial custody.

The court accepted the CBI's plea and sent all the five accused to judicial custody.

On May 7, accused Vivek Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar, businessmen Samir Sandhir and Rahul Yadav were also remanded in judicial custody till May 20 after the agency said their further custodial interrogation was not required. One of the accused Sushil Dagga is yet to be arrested.

All the accused persons have been booked by the CBI for their alleged roles in the bribery case, in which a deal of Rs 10 crore was allegedly finalised for getting Mahesh Kumar appointed to a more lucrative post in the railway board as member (electrical).