Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended an officer of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) Regional Office in Berhampur, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a company representative in Berhampur.
According to sources, the EPFO officer was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe in exchange for providing digital signatures, a crucial requirement for processing official documentation for companies under the EPFO framework.
The officer’s alleged corrupt practices were exposed when a trap was laid by the CBI, leading to his arrest and recovery of the bribe amount.
The EPFO officer allegedly arranged a meeting with a private company representative at a hotel in Berhampur’s Lanjipalli area, under the guise of completing official work. However, during the meeting, he accepted a bribe, unaware that the CBI had set a trap following a formal complaint. As soon as the bribe money was handed over, CBI officials swooped in, apprehending the officer on the spot.
This sting operation led to the officer’s arrest and recovery of the bribe amount. The accused officer is currently being interrogated at an undisclosed location.
