Member (Staff) Railway Board Mahesh Kumar, who had allegedly paid a bribe of 90 lakh rupees to the nephew of Railway Minister P K Bansal has been suspended from the job.

A senior railway official told to a news agency that Kumar was placed under suspension after receipt of a report from CBI in the said matter. Kumar was arrested by CBI after the agency apprehended him while paying the bribe to Bansal’s nephew Vijay Singla reportedly for a plum post.

With the arrest of Kumar and another middle man Rahul Yadav, CBI claims the total number of arrests has gone to seven in the bribery case. Yesterday, two courier boys, who allegedly delivered 90 lakh rupees bribe to Bansal’s nephew for fixing the promotion of a Railway Board member, were arrested by the agency.

Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal yesterday met the Prime Minister and party chief Sonia Gandhi and apprised them that he had not been in touch for a while with his nephew, who has been arrested for allegedly accepting a 90 lakh rupees bribe.

Mr Bansal, told his party’s core group that he did not discuss postings in his ministry with his nephew, Vijay Singla. The Congress Core Group met in New Delhi yesterday but not reached any conclusion on Bansal’s future in the ministry. The Group will meet again today.