Illegal assets: CBI Special Court attaches 2 Noida flats of ex-EPFO official

Ghaziabad, June 27 (IANS) A Special CBI Court in Ghaziabad on Friday ordered the attachment of two Noida flats of former EPFO officer Brajesh Ranjan Jha in a Disproportionate Assets case, an official said.

The Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Branch, CBI, issued ad-interim attachment order under section 3 of Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, 1944 for attachment of these properties, the official said in a statement.

Jha was posted as Enforcement Officer/Accounts Officer, EPFO, Regional Office, Noida, when the federal agency registered a Disproportionate Assets case him on January 29, 2024.

Investigation revealed that the accused public servant had acquired Disproportionate Assets amounting to Rs 86.37 lakh (153 per cent) during the check period from October 1, 2010 to August 13, 2020.

It was also gathered that during that period, the accused public servant had made investment in two flats in Noida, beyond his known sources of income.

The chargesheet in the instant case was filed on December 20, 2024 against Jha.

Earlier this month, the CBI arrested an EPFO in Odisha for taking a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a chartered accountant for approving applications related to two companies.

Anil Rath, Senior Social Security Assistant (SSSA), EPFO Regional Office, Berhampur, District Ganjam, was allegedly harassing the complainant by delaying the approval, the official said.

A case was registered by the CBI on June 12 against Rath on the basis of a complaint filed by Suraj Kumar Dash.

He was booked for the offence of demanding undue advantage/bribe by a public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Rath allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant to approve the Authorised Signatory Application of two employers -- Jai Jagannath Infratech and Uttam Padhi, on the EPFO Portal.

Dash said the application was repeatedly rejected by Rath between March and May on the grounds of incomplete documentation.

--IANS

rch/pgh