The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Lucknow): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained an Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC) and an Enforcement Officer of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in Lucknow, along with a private individual, in a bribery case involving Rs 8 lakh. The arrested individuals have been identified as Gyanedra Kumar, Assistant Commissioner, Puneet Singh, Inspector (Enforcement Officer), and Manish Singh, a private consultant acting as a middleman.
The arrests were made following a CBI investigation initiated against the Enforcement Officer and the middleman based on a complaint. The complaint alleged that the accused demanded an undue advantage of Rs 12 lakh through the consultant to avoid imposing taxes improperly on a private company engaged in manpower supply.
The Enforcement Officer and the middleman were apprehended in the act of accepting a bribe of Rs 8 lakh from the complainant. This amount was reportedly intended for the Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner. Following the arrests, CBI officials conducted searches at four locations in Lucknow, including the official and residential premises of the accused.
The Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner was also taken into custody in connection with the case. The arrested individuals are set to be presented before the Special Judge for CBI cases in Lucknow.
This development highlights a significant case of corruption within the EPFO, an organization responsible for the financial well-being of millions of employees across the country. The involvement of high-ranking officials in such corrupt practices raises concerns about the integrity of the system and the need for stringent measures to curb such misconduct.
