CBI arrests ex-DRM of Waltair Dvn for amassing Rs 2.19 cr illegal assets

Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials arrested former Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), East Coast Railways, Waltair Division, Visakhapatnam, Saurabh Prasad, for allegedly amassing assets worth Rs 2.19 crore. The agency registered a disproportionate assets case against the accused officer.

In 2024, the CBI Delhi unit officials registered cases under corruption charges and conducted raids at the residence of the accused officer. The officials found cash in dollars, euros, Mauritius rupees and francs, besides gold coins, gold and silver jewellery and various documents pertaining to income, assets and expenditure in the name of Saurabh Prasad and his family members.

In continuation of the probe, the CBI found that the accused officer had amassed Rs 2.19 crore in assets illegally. Saurabh Prasad joined the Indian Railways as an Assistant Mechanical Engineer in 1994. After being promoted and posted in various positions, from 2018 to September 2021, he was posted as CME with Konkan Railway. He was posted as CME (Planning) at Central Railway from September 2021 to July 2023 and was posted as DRM, Waltair Division of East Coast Railways, from July 2023 to November 16, 2024.

The CBI officials stated that Saurabh Prasad, while in public service from 2021 to 2024, acquired assets worth Rs 2.19 crore that were disproportionate to all his known legal sources of income, for which he could not satisfactorily account.

It was further revealed that Saurabh Prasad retired as Director, DRDO, and his mother is a housewife and is not dependent on him. His wife, Manjushree Saurabh Prasad, was employed with Tata Steel till July 2023 and left the job afterwards. She had some income from house rent and consultancy jobs.

Details of the income, assets and expenditure of Saurabh Prasad between 2021 and 2024:

•Assets at the beginning of the check period: Rs 1,04,44,008.31

•Assets at the end of the check period: Rs 5,40,74,604.31

•Income during the check period: Rs 3,53,07,917

•Expenditure during the check period: Rs 1,35,84,900

•Assets acquired during the check period: Rs 4,36,30,592

•Likely savings during the check period: Rs 2,17,23,017

•Disproportionate assets: Rs 2,19,07,575

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The Hans India