New Delhi, May 11
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started preparing a set of questions to be put to former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal for ascertaining his role in the railway scam, sources have said. Sources said Bansal would be questioned any time next week by a CBI team consisting of senior officers who were busy examining the documents seized during raids at Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and other places.

Bansal’s nephew Vijay Singla was arrested on May 3 from Chandigarh allegedly receiving Rs 90 lakh in bribe for securing plum posting for sacked Railway Board Member (Staff) Mahesh Kumar, who is now in judicial custody. The agency has sent CDs of conversations between the accused to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh, for identification of voice samples. The investigation agency is concentrating on the voices of Singla, Mahesh Kumar, Sandeep Goyal and Manjunath. All formalities have to be completed before three months for the CBI to file a chargesheet in court, the sources added.

The CBI had yesterday’s issued notices to five senior railway officials. The Railway Board had seven members and their appointment could not be made without the minister’s consent, sources added. The CBI has secured key leads suggesting the use of hawala route for cash dealings. It has also started scrutinising documents pertaining to the appointment of officers in the railways in the cash-for-job scam.