Vadodara: EPFO officer caught taking Rs 5 lakh bribe

An Enforcement officer of Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Vadodara, was caught by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for accepting a bribe of Rs5 lakh.

CBI did not name the arrested official, but sources in the know identified him as Rajneesh Tiwari. Incidentally, his wife Paru Tiwari, who also works as an enforcement officer in EPFO Vadodara, was booked in connection to an Rs1 lakh bribery case by Anti Corruption Bureau in October.

On Friday, CBI said it registered a case against the officer (Rajneesh Tiwari) for demanding illegal gratification of Rs20 lakh from a builder. The bribe was demanded passing favourable order in the matter of his regular employees for which PF was to be deposited and for clearing the Notice issued by EPFO, CBI said.

"The accused reduced his demand to Rs10 lakh and agreed to accept the first instalment of Rs5 lakh. CBI laid a trap and caught him while accepting Rs5 lakh," it said. The probe agency said searches at the accused's premises led to the recovery of Rs4 lakh. "The accused will be produced before competent court," CBI added.