EPFO officer held by CBI in Maharashtra's Jalgaon for accepting bribe of Rs 25,000

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) official in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The accused is posted as an Enforcement Officer in the EPFO, it said, adding that he had demanded the bribe from the complainant, who was managing his father's labor supply firm.

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According to the CBI, On July 31, 2024, the firm received an email from the Regional Head of EPFO's Jalgaon office, informing them that an audit would be conducted between July 31 and August 2, 2024. During the audit, the Audit Officer reportedly informed the complainant that the firm had defaulted on Provident Fund (PF) payments for March 2023, amounting to Rs 2 lakh. The Enforcement Officer later contacted the complainant and demanded Rs 50,000 as a bribe to settle the dues. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to Rs 25,000.

"The CBI laid a trap and caught the officer red-handed while accepting the bribe. Subsequent searches at the accused's residence and office in Jalgaon and Nashik districts of Maharashtra also led to the recovery of incriminating documents. Further investigations in the matter are going on," the officials said.