CBI lays a trap, catches two EPFO officials in Noida taking Rs 8 lakh bribe

NOIDA: The CBI on Friday arrested two officials of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), among them an accounts officer in Noida, for allegedly taking Rs 8 lakh as bribe for a settlement of hefty dues.
The complainant had an amount of Rs 74 lakh payable as EPF contribution and the accused had negotiated a bribe to settle those dues, according to a CBI statement. The raid was carried out at the EPFO office in Sector 24 and the residences of the accused on Thursday evening. Accounts officer Narendra Kumar and enforcement officer
Brajesh Ranjan Jha were arrested after a trap was laid by the agency. Kumar, according to the agency, was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 8 lakh.
The CBI said the duo had originally demanded Rs 9 lakh from the complainant. A statement issued by the CBI said, "A case was registered against an accounts officer, EPFO, Noida and an assistant commissioner, EPFO, Noida, on a complaint alleging that the accused demanded a bribe of Rs 9 lakh from the complainant in lieu of settling the purported amount of Rs 74 lakh (approx) payable towards EPF contribution along with penalties and interest (which would be amounting to around Rs 2 crore, as claimed by these officials). Later, the bribe amount was reduced to Rs 8 lakh by the accused," it said.
EPFO officials confirmed that the raid was carried out around 4.30pm on Thursday. The CBI set up the trap and made the arrests on Friday. Jha, the enforcement officer, was helping Kumar.
Narendra Singh, the regional provident fund commissioner, told TOI an inquiry was being conducted in the case since last year and the EPFO was waiting for an FIR to be uploaded. "We had sought details but were told to wait for an FIR to be registered. We have conveyed to the head office that a raid was carried out on Thursday evening at the office and we don't have more details. No formal communication has been shared by CBI so far," Singh said.