CBI charges EPFO official with bribery in Mumbai

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Mumbai has charged an official from the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and two employees from a local dairy cooperative with bribery. The case involves demands for bribes to settle provident fund claims. The CBI's investigation started after a complaint from the PF office in Kandivali East. They discovered that 67 PF claims worth ₹2.29 crore had been settled incorrectly and are now under review. The EPFO official, who has since been transferred out of state, allegedly solicited bribes from the dairy cooperative employees for processing these claims. On Tuesday, the CBI obtained approval to proceed with the case against the EPFO official and others. They face charges related to criminal conspiracy, bribing public servants, and other illegal activities under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Additionally, the CBI had previously been looking into this official for another case. Reports suggest that the official required kickbacks from the dairy employees to expedite the PF settlements. Between 2019 and 2021, one of the employees allegedly funneled ₹3.53 lakh in bribes to the official's wife's bank account through online transfers. The second employee is also said to have transferred around ₹1 lakh to the official's account in a similar manner.