New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a clerk of Coal Mines Provident Fund in Madhya Pradesh for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1.3 lakh for releasing a dead subscriber’s Rs 50-60 lakh fund to his kin.
Umashankar Tiwari, a PF Clerk of Sub Area office, SECL, Nowrozabad, District Umaria, demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from Raj Kumar Barman, son of Babu Nandan Barman, for releasing Rs 50-60 lakh lying in his father’s PF account.
A case was registered by CBI on Monday against two accused, including the Commissioner, Coal Mines Provident Fund, Regional Office, Jabalpur, and Tiwari, on the allegations that the accused demanded of bribe of Rs 5 lakh for releasing the Provident Fund (PF) of the father of the complainant.
It was alleged in the complaint that the father of the complainant was working in Kudri Coal Mines and he had expired on May 14, 2021. The complainant visited the PF office, Nowrozabad, several times to get the Provident Fund of his father released, where he met Tiwari.
The CBI FIR said that the clerk allegedly told Raj Kumar Barman, a resident of Katni district in Madhya Pradesh, and his relative Kaushal Barman that the PF amount would not be released till he spends some money.
The clerk later telephoned Kaushal Barman and called him to the Jabalpur-based Regional Office of Coal Mines Provident Fund and facilitated a meeting with the accused Commissioner.
After coming out of the office of the Commissioner, the accused PF clerk allegedly informed them that their work would be done and demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh.
The clerk allegedly told them that Rs 2.50 lakh would have to be given to the Commissioner. Thereafter, the accused PF clerk allegedly made multiple telephonic calls to Kaushal Barman, demanding the bribe and asking them to pay Rs 1.50 lakh as the first instalment.
The CBI laid a trap and caught the accused PF clerk red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 1.30 lakh as the first instalment from the complainant, said a statement.
Later, on the instructions of the Regional Commissioner, CMPF, an office security guard accepted the bribe money of Rs 1.30 lakh and was arrested by the CBI.
Searches were conducted by the CBI on the premises of the accused that led to the recovery of incriminating documents, said a CBI statement.
(IANS)
