CBI arrests Regional Provident Fund Commissioner and two others in a bribery case of two lakh rupees
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two senior EPFO (Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation) officers, including a Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, an Enforcement Officer , and a private person in an alleged bribery case of ₹2 lakh in Nashik.
The arrested officials were Ganesh Arote, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Ajay Ahuja, Enforcement Officer and a private person, EPFO agent, BS Mangalkar.
The CBI probe was initiated after a complaint was registered against an EPFO officer and a private person, both residents of Nashik. The EPFO comes under the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment and is among the world’s largest social security organisations.
It was alleged by the case complainant that an EPFO officer had hatched a conspiracy with a private Provident Fund consultant to demand and obtain an undue advantage of ₹2 lakh for settling a PF issue related to the complainant’s firm. It was further alleged that the EPFO officer directed the complainant to hand over the bribe to the said private PF Consultant, CBI sources said.
On getting the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught the private person and two EPFO officers while allegedly accepting the bribe, according to the agency. As part of the probe, the CBI carried out searches at seven locations in Nashik, which led to the recovery of incriminating material including cash, and diaries containing details of undue advantage, among other articles.
The arrested accused were produced before a court in Nashik on Thursday and were remanded to CBI’s custody till January 1, 2024.