Solan, Nov 27 (Reporter) The sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner and an Enforcement Officer of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) along with private Consultant in Baddi town of the district. The arrests were made for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to settle a provident fund dispute. The CBI had registered a case on November 24 on the basis of allegations that the Enforcement Officer had demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 10 lakh through the private consultant. This amount was purportedly intended for himself and other senior EPFO officers to resolve a pending provident fund demand against the complainant’s firm. The accused had allegedly told the complainant that their failure to pay the bribe would result in a recovery demand of Rs 45-50 lakh. After this, CBI officials laid a trap and arrested the private consultant red-handed while accepting the bribe. The amount included Rs 5 lakh in cash and bearer cheques worth Rs 5 lakh. During the trap proceedings, evidence also implicated the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner. All three individuals were arrested and produced before the Special Judge for CBI cases in Shimla. Subsequent searches at the residences and offices of the accused in Baddi (Solan), Shimla, and Chandigarh uncovered approximately Rs 23.5 lakh in cash and several incriminating documents at the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner’s premises in Chandigarh. A case has been registered in this connection and further investigation is in progress...////...