Mumbai CBI Court Discharges 5 Former Jet Airways Pilots In EPFO Bribery Case, Finds No Evidence Of Undue Favour

Mumbai: The special CBI court has discharged five former pilots booked for allegedly giving a bribe to a Senior Social Security Assistant of the Employees' Provident Fund Office, Kandivali, between 2019 and 2021 to get their accounts settled. The court said there is nothing to prove that they were given any undue preference.

Bribery allegations against PF official

As per the prosecution case, lodged on the complaint of the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-1 (Vigilance), the accused, Machindra Bamne, Senior Social Security Assistant in the accounts section of the regional office at Kandivali (E), had received illegal gratification from the employees of various establishments in lieu of their claim settlement. Likewise, a few of the former employees of Jet Airways were also booked for paying him a bribe.

It was alleged that Bamne took the bribe money between 2019 and 2021 in the account of his wife, who was running a consultancy agency, or to his relative against some product. His superior had, in his statement to the agency, claimed that Bamne used to reject claims of people for trivial reasons and would settle the account only on the payment of the bribe amount to the account of his wife. It is claimed that Bamne obtained undue advantage during the years 2019 to 2021 from 13 employees of Jet Airways.

Pilots deny paying bribes

The pilots, however, in their defence, claimed that the financial transactions were not towards bribes but towards consultancy fees to his wife and for purchasing herbal products which were being sold by Bamne's sister-in-law. The prosecution, however, said that no proof or bill was produced.

Court examines evidence against pilots

The court, on the other hand, said, "Despite being compelled to pay charges with the consultancy firm run by Bamne, these pilots did not lodge a report with the law enforcement authority within the stipulated time from the date of deposit of the charge or money for facilitating P.F. settlement, but that would not by itself give grounds to prosecute them."

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The court said, "No favour is done to the applicants. Further, their claims were not settled out of turn by Bamne. There is no bypassing of any fair procedure. Further, applicants were not favoured when their P.F. claim was settled."

No evidence of undue advantage

While discharging them, the court said there is nothing on record to show that they encouraged the officer to accept a bribe and give them undue advantage.

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