New Delhi, July 23 — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an Enforcement Officer of Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) District Office in Patiala for taking Rs 2.5 lakh bribe from a person facing an inquiry, an official said on Thursday.
The CBI registered the case immediately on July 22 against the Enforcement Officer of EPFO.
It was alleged that the client of the complainant (EPF consultant) was facing an inquiry under Section 7A of the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, before the EPFO authorities.
Although the complainant had submitted all the required documents to the EPFO department, the accused threatened to submit an adverse report recommending heavy assessment/penalty against the complainant's client, the CBI said.
"Subsequently, the accused telephonically contacted the complainant and directed him to meet at EPFO Regional Office in Chandigarh on July 21. During the meeting, the accused Enforcement Officer demanded a bribe of Rs 4 lakh for closure of the inquiry against his client with minimal assessment/penalty," the CBI added.
The CBI laid a trap on July 22 and caught the accused while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh from the complainant.
After the arrest the accused was produced before the competent court in Chandigarh on Thursday and the Judge sent him to judicial custody for 14 days, the CBI said.
In a separate matter, the CBI conducted searches at multiple locations in Chandigarh and Ludhiana in connection with the misappropriation of funds from IDFC First Bank accounts of Chandigarh Smart City Ltd (CSCL) and Municipal Corporation Chandigarh.
The searches were conducted at five locations, including residential premises, business establishments of suspected beneficiaries of the defrauded funds belonging to the Municipal Corporation and CSCL, former accountant Anubhav Mishra and private entities connected with the investigation.
During the searches, various incriminating documents and articles were recovered and seized. These include digital evidence like storage drives, digital signatures, property-related documents, financial records, multiple electronic devices and other documents relevant to the investigation.
The seized documents and electronic records are being examined and analysed as part of the ongoing investigation.