Lucknow, Oct 31 (IANS) A senior officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on charges of corruption here Saturday, officials said.
K.M. Tripathi, currently posted as a regional manager of the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in Lucknow, was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs.70,000 from a contractor.

Simultaneous raids at his residence unearthed cash of about Rs.35 lakh and jewellery worth at least Rs.40 lakh, a CBI source said here Saturday evening.

A case of disproportionate assets has been registered against Tripathi under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Tripathi owns a huge bungalow in Lucknow’s posh Mall Avenue and is alleged to have acquired more property through ‘benami’ (fake) transactions.

Prior to his deputation with IRCTC, Tripathi has held key assignments with the local divisions of both Northern as well as North-Eastern Railway.

According to CBI source, “a sizeable part of his ill-gotten wealth was suspected to have been amassed during his posting as senior divisional commercial manager in both the divisions in Lucknow.”