Two EPFO officials among three held for graft in Himachal

CBI also conducted searches at the residential and official premises of accused at seven locations in Baddi, Shimla and Chandigarh, recovering 23.5 lakh and incriminating documents.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested three accused including regional provident fund commissioner and enforcement officer, both of Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Baddi, Solan, and a consultant (private person) for demanding and accepting bribe of ₹10 lakh from the complainant.

CBI arrested three accused including regional provident fund commissioner and enforcement officer. (File)

A case was registered on allegations that the accused sought ₹10 lakh to favourably settle the matter of PF demand of complainant’s firm, which was pending with the office.

CBI laid a trap and caught the accused accepting the bribe. Further, CBI conducted searches at the residential and official premises of accused at seven locations in Baddi, Shimla and Chandigarh, recovering 23.5 lakh and incriminating documents.

Other news in brief:

Shimla Himachal assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Wednesday announced that the winter session of the state legislative assembly will be held from December 18 to 21. Pathania said the session will be held at Tapovan in Dharamshala, with a total of four meetings scheduled during the period.

New Delhi The NIA on Wednesday informed a court that it was likely to move the Delhi high court seeking grant of special powers to a court currently hearing the terror-funding case against J&K MP Rashid Engineer, to enable it to hear the case. The counsel appearing for the NIA made the submission before the district judge, seeking 10 days to probe agency to receive a response from the high court.

Jammu Ten over ground workers of terror groups were arrested on Wednesday during a massive crackdown aimed at dismantling the terror ecosystem in Kathua district.The op at 17 locations was jointly conducted by police and CRPF in Malhar, Bani, Billawar, Kana Chack, Haria Chack, Spral Pain and Chack Wajir Lahbju to uncover networks providing logistic and financial aid to terrorist groups, a police said.

Jammu Security forces on Wednesday launched a cordon and search operation following reports of suspicious movement near the Line of Control in the Poonch district. Troops, police cordoned off Behari Rakh forest and its adjoining villages in the Mendhar sector after getting information about the suspicious movements of some people, believed to be terrorists, they said.

Shimla The government is upgrading health institutes in each of the 68 assembly constituencies of the state to “Adarsh Swasthya Sansthan” with a provision of six specialist doctors at each, health minister Dhani Ram Shandil said. The minister, while reviewing healthcare schemes, added that the state has a special focus on ensuring quality, accessible and affordable services.

Shimla To tackle new challenges for Himalayan towns posed by climate change, the Shimla Collective, a platform comprising residents, institutions, and civil society groups, has initiated the ambitious Shimla Vision 2040 plan. The project aims to create a sustainable roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions by addressing key urban issues.

Jammu Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday paid floral tributes to the leader of Duggar Pradesh, Girdhari Lal Dogra on his 37th death anniversary here. “He will be remembered as a multifaceted personality who contributed immensely to welfare of poor and marginalized sections of our society. His life and ideals will inspire generations,” he wrote on X.