Two enforcement inspectors held for bribery in Kota

Kota (Raj):  Two enforcement inspectors of the Provident Fund department were arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau here for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a proprietor of a security agency, an official said today.

Nalin Kumar Bhatt and Suresh Saini were arrested last evening for accepting bribe from one Gobri Lal, who runs a security agency in Kansuva area of the city, Chandrasheel Thakur, Additional Superintendent of Police (ACB), said.

The inspectors had reached the security agency office a few days ago to inspect documents. On finding irregularities and non deposition of tax deducted at source of the employees, the officials asked for a penalty and cancellation of the agency’s license. They then offered to sort out the matter with a bribe of Rs 50,000, the official said.

The bribe amount was later negotiated to Rs 25,000, he said. The two inspectors left the agency office asking the proprietor to call them back when the amount was arranged, Thakur said. The proprietor reported the matter to the ACB on Monday and following the verification of the complaint a trap to nab the inspectors was carried out when they reached proprietor’s office to collect the bribe amount, he said.

As the inspectors were about to leave the agency office after receiving the bribe amount, ACB personnel already deployed nearby, nabbed them and recovered the bribe amount, the official said. The role of senior officials of the PF department would also be examined in the case as the two inspectors mentioned to the proprietor that a part of the bribe amount would be shared, the official said.

The inspectors would be produced before the ACB court, Thakur said, adding judicial custody would be sought for further interrogation in the matter.