CBI Busts Bribery Scandal: EPFO Officers Arrested

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two EPFO officers in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, for allegedly taking a Rs 10 lakh bribe to settle a provident fund dispute. The arrests followed a trap operation and subsequent searches that recovered cash and incriminating documents.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two officers from the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district on charges of accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe. The officials are accused of demanding the bribe to settle a pending provident fund demand in favor of a businessman.

Those arrested include Regional Provident Fund Commissioner Ravi Anand and Enforcement Officer Madan Lal Bhatti, along with a consultant and middleman, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, who was caught in a trap operation as he collected Rs 5 lakh in cash and another Rs 5 lakh via cheque.

The CBI’s trap operation followed a complaint from a businessman who alleged the demand was made to resolve a provident fund issue. Subsequent searches at various locations led to the recovery of Rs 23.5 lakh and incriminating documents from the accused's premises in Chandigarh.

(With inputs from agencies.)