Chandigarh: Two EPFO officers jailed for 6 years in ₹2-lakh bribe case

Despite knowing that they can face punishment and humiliation in society, public officers indulge in corruption and befool the system. Such men, deserved no leniency, remarked a special CBI court while awarding six-year jail to two enforcement officers at the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) office, Sector 17, for taking ₹2 lakh as bribe in 2015.

The officers, Vijay Rawat and Bachittar Singh, were also fined ₹1 lakh each.

The duo was arrested in November 2015 following a complaint, wherein a man had submitted that he had a contract of advising various private firms, including a Mohali-based firm, on labour matters. The two officers visited the Mohali-based firm and served a notice, directing it to submit certain records for verification.

Later, the officials called the complainant, who was authorised by the firm, and demanded ₹4 lakh in lieu of checking the records of the firm. Following negotiations, the accused agreed to take ₹2 lakh as first instalment.

The complainant approached the CBI that laid a trap and caught the two officers red-handed while accepting the money. They were subsequently booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Convicts plead for leniency

Over seven years later, a special CBI court had convicted them on Wednesday. Before pronouncement of sentence on Friday, the convicts pleaded for leniency, citing medical conditions.

While Vijay pleaded that he was diabetic and hypertensive, and had minor children, wife and old parents to look after, Bachittar, who retired in 2018, pleaded that he was suffering from polio, had autoimmune disease and had also undergone angioplasty for heart disease.

However, CBI’s public prosecutor Narender Singh pressed for stringent punishment that can act as deterrent for others not to indulge in such offence.

Hearing both sides, the court held that both convicts were public servants and had a lot of responsibility upon them. “People visit their office with full faith to get their work done, but then meet people like convicts, who despite being aware of the consequences, don’t shy from indulging in corruption,” the court stated.

“It is seen that the octopus of corruption has spread its ugly tentacles over the whole world and as a result, the corruption endemic commands a reprehensible global presence. Corruption was there for decades, but the way things deteriorated in the last few years, with corrupt people brazenly creating a lush life for themselves on public money, has outraged the citizens,” the court held.

It added, “Almost every month, a new scandal or scam is being exposed and with each scandal, people are becoming impatient and frustrated since little has been done in the past to punish those involved in the scams.”

“As a result,” the court ordered, “despite the age, character, family circumstances stated by the convicts, they don’t deserve leniency. Rather, they deserve punishment, which would act as a deterrent to other persons in society and they think twice before committing such an offence.”