SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, March 31: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a clerk and three staff members of Eastern Coalfield Limited’s (ECL) Khudia Colliery Area office in Dhanbad on Monday while they were accepting a bribe of ₹15,000 from a retired employee for processing his provident fund (PF) dues.
CBI Raid and Arrests
An official said that around 11:30 AM on Sunday, a CBI team raided the Khudia Colliery Area office, located approximately 40 km from the district headquarters. During the operation, PF clerk Arvind Rai, along with staff members Shankar Chouhan, Sheetal Bauri, and Ajay Kumar Mandal, was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe.
Bribe Demand and Complaint
Umesh Singh, a retired employee of the Khudia Colliery Area, had been waiting for his PF settlement for several months. However, Arvind Rai and his associates deliberately delayed the process, demanding ₹15,000 in bribes to release the due amount.
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A week ago, Arvind Rai reportedly pressured Umesh Singh to pay the bribe before the end of the financial year (March 31), warning him that otherwise, his PF amount would be returned. Frustrated by the extortion, Singh decided to approach the CBI and lodged a formal complaint.
CBI’s Trap and Arrest Operation
Following Singh’s complaint, CBI officials verified the bribery demand before setting up a trap. On Monday, Singh was sent to the Khudia Colliery Area office with the marked ₹15,000 in cash. As soon as he handed over the money to Arvind Rai, the CBI team swooped in and arrested him on the spot.
Further investigations revealed that staff members Rajesh Chouhan, Sheetal Bauri, and Ajay Mandal were also involved in the bribery scheme. The CBI arrested all four employees and took them to the colliery guest house for interrogation.
