CBI nabs sr. executives of Noida-based construction co.; APFC

The CBI today arrested two senior executives of a Noida-based construction company and an Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner in a bribery case involving Rs 5 lakh, agency officials said.
The arrested persons are Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner Surender Kumar, 3C Universal Developers Pvt Ltd executive Santosh Kumar, and the Chief Financial Officer of the company Dinesh Pahwa, they said.
The company had built several projects in the NCR area like Lotus Boulevard, Lotus Boulevard Espacia, Lotus Panache among others.
The CBI had received information that APFC Surender Kumar was allegedly in the habit of demanding illegal gratification from various private parties in the name of Regional Provident Fund Commissioner by providing them relief in the cases of violation of provident fund provisions.

Pahwa engaged Surender Kumar through Santosh Kumar for seeking favours in the matters of the company relating to delay in deducting, depositing and filing return of employee provident fund and not taking action for delay in mandatory deduction and not filing the return, a FIR filed in the case has alleged.
Surender Kumar assured that no action would be taken against Pahwa and demanded a bribe of Rs 10-15 lakh for the alleged favour, the agency has alleged.

It was decided that first installment of Rs 5 lakh would be paid on February 7 (yesterday), it said.
The agency laid a trap and arrested Santosh Kumar, Surender Kumar and Dinesh Pahwa while exchanging the bribe, the sources said.

All three have been arrested today and sent to CBI custody till February 12, they said.
The agency alleged that Surender Kumar was taking regular advice and guidance from Neeraj Verma, APFC, Rajkot.
The CBI carried out searches at five places in Delhi, Rajkot, Indirapuram and Noida in connection with the case.