Date:05/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/05/stories/2008070553130400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

2 enforcement officers arrested

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI: In a sting operation, officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested two Enforcement Officers attached to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation in Cuddalore on Friday. Two contractors who paid the officials for evading payment of PF to labourers were also apprehended.

According to CBI sources, the Anti-Corruption Branch received a tip-off that contractors engaging labour at the Neyveli Lignite Corporation paid bribes to Enforcement Officers to avoid contributing to PF.

The contractors would meet the officials once a month at their office and pay them ‘mamool’.

Based on specific information, a team was sent to Cuddalore on Friday.

In the presence of independent official witnesses, CBI officials raided the chamber of Enforcement Officer Vasudevan and arrested him on charges of a bribe of Rs. 3,000 from labour contractor Pushpangan.

The contractor too was taken into custody.

Similarly, the CBI also arrested Enforcement Officer Gunasekharan on charges of taking Rs. 2,000 from another contractor Subramaniam.

Cases under various Sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, were registered against the four accused who were produced in a special CBI court here and remanded to judicial custody, the sources added.