Cracking down on corruption, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three persons including Regional Provident Fund Commissioner and Enforcement Officer both of EPFO, Baddi in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh and a private consultant for accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh.
An official of CBI said here on Wednesday that three accused of accepting a bribe of Rs. 10 lakh including Rs. 5 lakh cash and “Self Cheques” of Rs. 5 lakh from the complainant.
He said that a case was registered by CBI on November 24 against three accused on allegations that accused Enforcement Officer demanded undue advantage of Rs.10 lakh through the accused private consultant for himself and also for other senior officers of EPFO to favourably settle the matter of PF demand of complainant’s firm which was pending with EPFO Office, Baddi, Solan.
It is further alleged that if the said demand was not met, the recovery would be 45-50 lakh, he added. CBI laid a trap and caught the accused consultant (private person), while demanding and accepting Rs. 10 lakh from the complainant on behalf of the accused Enforcement Officer and Regional Provident Fund Commissioner whose role emerged during the trap proceedings, said the spokesperson.
All three accused were arrested and are being produced in the Court of Special Judge, CBI Cases, Shimla, he added. Further, CBI conducted searches at the residential and official premises of the accused at seven locations in Baddi at Solan, Shimla and Chandigarh, he disclosed.
Cash of approximately Rs 23.5 lakh and incriminating documents were recovered from the premises of Regional Provident Fund Commissioner at Chandigarh, he said, adding that investigation is still underway.