CBI arrests 2 EPFO officials in bribery case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has  arrested three accused including Regional Provident Fund Commissioner and Enforcement Officer of EPFO and a consultant for allegedly accepting bribe. According to information, Ravi Anand, Regional PF Commissioner, EPFO, Baddi, Solan in Himachal Pradesh, Madan Lal Bhatti, Enforcement Officer, EPFO, Baddi and Sanjay Kumar Yadav, consultant, a private person,were arrested on Wednesday. A case was registered  against all the three persons. According to a statement, issued by the CBI, Enforcement Officers demanded Rs.10 lakh to settle the matter of PF demand of complainant’s firm which was pending with EPFO Office, Baddi. It was further alleged that if the said demand was not met, the recovery would be 45-50 lakh.
CBI laid a trap and caught accused consultant while accepting Rs. 10 lakh (Rs. 5 lakh cash and “Self Cheques” of Rs. 5 lakh) from the complainant on behalf of accused Enforcement Officer and  Regional Provident Fund Commissioner whose role emerged during the trap proceedings. All three accused were arrested.
Further, CBI conducted searches at the residential and official premises of accused at seven locations in Baddi at Solan , Shimla and Chandigarh. A cash of Rs 23.5 lakh (approx.) and incriminating documents were recovered from the premises of Regional Provident Fund Commissioner at Chandigarh.