Hajipur: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Alok Kumar, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Railway Construction Department, on Tuesday after he was allegedly caught accepting a bribe of ₹1 crore. The operation was conducted at the Hajipur Junction complex on Saturday and continued for nearly 12 hours.
According to officials, the cash—more than ₹1 crore—was found wrapped in paper inside the office. Due to the volume of notes, a counting machine had to be brought to the spot. Twelve CBI officers participated in the raid.
The agency arrested five persons in the case so far: engineer Alok Kumar; his clerk, Alok Das; Class IV employee Manik Das; and two employees linked to a private contractor. Several files and documents were seized during the search.
Investigators said they had received intelligence that bribe money was being transported to Hajipur on November 15 on behalf of contractor Govind Bhullar. Suraj Prasad allegedly collected ₹50 lakh and ₹42 lakh from two locations. After verification, the CBI carried out the raid.
The CBI has accused Deputy Chief Engineer Alok Kumar, contractor Govind Bhullar, Suraj Prasad, and another man identified as Raja of conspiring to raise false bills, manipulate measurement records, and overlook substandard construction materials. Officials said the irregularities helped the contractor and caused financial losses to the Railways.
Witnesses said a commotion broke out when CBI officers arrived at the Deputy Chief Engineer’s office on the second floor of the Railway Construction Department at Hajipur Railway Station. The officers immediately detained those present and began the search, which led to the recovery of the cash.
Alok Kumar, posted in Hajipur for the last two years, was overseeing construction work for the Hajipur–Sugauli railway line. Officials said the CBI team arrived with his photograph and later summoned the contractor and another construction staffer to the office around midnight.
