EPFO Officials in Nashik Arrested for Bribery in 2 Lakh Rupee Sting Operation

Nashik: Three officials from the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) office in Nashik were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on charges of accepting a bribe of 2 lakh rupees. The accused include the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner Ganesh Prasad Arote, Provident Fund Officer Ajay Ahuja, and a private consultant named Mangalkar.

A construction company owner in Nashik lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Mumbai on Saturday, December 23rd, alleging that Ahuja and Mangalkar demanded a bribe of 2 lakh rupees from him. The CBI verified the complaint and set up a trap at the EPFO office in Satpur under the direction of Dr Sadanand Date, Deputy Inspector of CBI. 
The complainant handed over the 2 lakh rupees to Mangalkar as per the plan. CBI officers immediately apprehended Mangalkar, who confessed to taking the bribe at the behest of Arote and Ahuja. Subsequently, both Arote and Ahuja were arrested by CBI. 

All three were presented before the District and Sessions Court. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court remanded all three to police custody until January 1st, 2024.