MUMBAI, July 24 -- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a senior executive of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and a director of a Kolkata-based hospitality firm for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes worth Rs.3.98 lakh to secure the clearance of bills linked to onboard catering services on Tejas trains. The accused, IRCTC executive Tridib Banerjee and firm director Amar Thakkar, were arrested on Wednesday after the agency registered an FIR against them a day earlier based on source information. According to the FIR, Banerjee demanded and accepted Rs.3.98 lakh in two instalments for clearing the firm's bills, of which Rs.1.98 lakh was paid for a bill cleared in April and Rs.2 lakh for another cleared in June, for improper and dishonest discharge of his duties associated with his office, agency officials said. During the investigation on Wednesday, both the accused were confronted at the IRCTC's West Zone Office, Mumbai, regarding the alleged bribery. The agency also allegedly recovered bags from Thakkar containing cash amounting to Rs.4.50 lakh and Rs.13,200. The duo's mobile phones were also seized and the agency allegedly found incriminating WhatsApp chats on them. Searches were also conducted at the residential premises of the accused public servant and the arrested private person, during which incriminating documents were seized. The CBI has also named Thakkar's Mumbai-based associate, D Parmar, alleging that he deposited the cash into Banerjee's bank account on Thakkar's instructions. The agency said it is also probing the role of other unidentified persons in the alleged corruption. According to the CBI, the hospitality firm secured an IRCTC contract in November last year to provide onboard catering and allied services on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai and Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas routes. Since meal costs are included in passengers' fares, the contractor periodically raises bills with IRCTC for reimbursement....