Pawan Bansal (left), Vijay Singla

New Delhi, July 2 (PTI): The CBI has given former railway minister Pawan Bansal a clean chit in the bribe-for-post case in which it filed a chargesheet today naming his nephew Vijay Singla and suspended railway board member Mahesh Kumar along with eight others.

CBI sources said they did not find “prosecutable evidence” against Bansal, who had to resign in the wake of the scandal.

The agency had grilled the former minister last month for over six hours on various issues related to clearance of files for promotions to top positions, including that of Kumar, and his association with the officer.

The sources, however, added that Bansal was still under the scanner in a separate inquiry relating to alleged favours in promotions and postings in the ministry during his tenure.

His personal assistant Rahul Bhandari has been named as a suspect in the inquiry.

The agency, in its chargesheet filed before special CBI judge Swarna Kanta Sharma, has alleged that Singla had demanded Rs 10 crore from Kumar for shifting him to a choice post.

Kumar, who was board member (staff), wanted to be appointed member (electrical).

It was decided that the money would be given in instalments of Rs 2 crore and Rs 3 crore after the appointment as member (electrical) and the rest after six months, the CBI has alleged.

The agency alleged that the deal was struck through Ajay Garg and Sandeep Goyal, who were both acting as middlemen, whereas Kumar had entrusted businessman Manjunath for arranging the money and getting it delivered to Singla and Goyal.

“The initial instalment of Rs 2 crore was again decided to be delivered in two instalments — Rs 1 crore on May 3, 2013, and another Rs 1 crore after 3-4 days of the first delivery,” CBI spokesperson Dharini Mishra said today.

Manjunath could arrange nearly Rs 90 lakh for the first instalment, which was to be paid to Goyal and Singla on May 3 at the latter’s premises in Chandigarh, the sources said.

The CBI, which was keeping a tab on the activities of the accused through phone surveillance, got to know of the plan and caught the duo red-handed.