Chennai: The Regional Commissioner-I of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), who attempted to flee with Rs 14.5 lakh graft money from the Saveetha group of institutions, was secured by CBI sleuths in Ambattur on Monday morning. As many as 7 persons were arrested besides the seizure of graft money and incriminating documents.
The arrest came a few hours before the commissioner was scheduled to brief the media on EPFO migrating to online. The briefing was put off to a later date citing administrative reasons.
ES Durga Prasad, the commissioner, reportedly demanded Rs 15 lakh from Saveetha group, which allegedly manipulated wages of their employees for Provident Fund deduction / remittance.
On Monday morning, he told his colleagues he would be going out for a while.
He went to Ambattur where he met two advocates, who were acting as conduits, at their office where he collected Rs 14.5 lakhs from Senguttuvan, estate officer cum PRO of Saveetha group, who was waiting there.
Soon after the cash exchanged hands, the CBI sleuths surrounded Prasad’s car. A rattled commissioner attempted to drive away to evade the CBI’s trap in vain.Besides Prasad, Senguttuvan, two enforcement officers – Elumalai and Manikandan, and three others – Suriyanarayanan, Sudalaimuthu, and Raja were also detained, taking the arrest tally to 7.
