The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an accused Enforcement Officer, EPFO, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu while accepting a bribe amount of Rs. 2 lakh from the complainant.
The CBI has initiated a case against an Enforcement Officer from EPFO, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, on the grounds of a complaint. The accused is alleged to have solicited a bribe of Rs. 15 lakh from a complainant who operates a software company in Tirunelveli.
It is also claimed that the accused demanded this bribe to refrain from taking action against the company, which had benefited from the Central Government’s ABRY scheme (Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana), aimed at promoting job creation in the formal sector through EPF contribution support for new employees.
It has been further alleged that the accused officer collected and verified the documents from the complainant Company and learnt that the company has received an amount of Rs. 3 crores (approx) under Central Government ABRY scheme. Out of the said amount he allegedly demanded 5% as a bribe from the complainant.
CBI laid a trap and caught the said accused EPFO officer red-handed while accepting bribe of Rs. 2 lakh as an advance.
This is the first time that the CBI has taken action against any EPFO officer previously January EPFO officer Asst Provident Fund Commissioner among three arrested in a bribery case.
The CBI laid a trap and apprehended the enforcement officer and the middleman while they were accepting a bribe of Rs 8 lakh from the complainant. The accused who have been arrested will be produced before the Special Judge for CBI cases in Lucknow.
CBI registered a case against the said, “Enforcement Officer, EPFO, Lucknow, and the middleman on a complaint alleging that the accused had demanded undue advantage of Rs 12 lakh through a consultant/private person (middleman) for not imposing/levying tax in the improper way on a private company, engaged in supply of manpower.”
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