Jet PF row: Is a cover-up underway?

EPFO’s office at Charkop, Kandivli

Rattled by mid-day's reports on the alleged Jet Airways PF scam, the EPFO's Kandivli office has written to former expat pilots of the airline asking them to confirm if their PF claims have been settled. But a source alleged that this is a ploy to suppress the matter.

A former Jet pilot said he has received an email from Kandivli EPFO asking him to accord "Top most priority". Quoting the content of the communication, the 54-year-old pilot said it is required for "internal audit purpose". The mail was sent on behalf of the assistant PF commissioner (compliance), said the expat pilot from Panama.

Earlier, mid-day's reports on the alleged scam had prompted EPFO to summon Sudhir Ganvir, regional provident fund commissioner, RO, Kandivli, to Delhi. Ganvir was also accused of not sharing info about the Jet case. EPFO's vigilance has also launched an internal probe.

Sudhir Ganvir, regional provident fund commissioner, RO, Kandivli, was called to Delhi following mid-day's reports; (right) The mail sent by EPFO's Kandivli office to a former Jet pilot

A highly placed source at EPFO told mid-day, "The mails have been sent to the expat pilots of Jet Airways not to complete the internal audit but to suppress the matter. Why has the assistant PF commissioner [compliance] suddenly started to send mails to the expat pilots now? Why did they not contact them since 2019 after the airline was grounded?"

Also Read: Double-barrelled probe ordered in Jet airways PF scam

The source said, "The PF officials at Kandivli have been trying to seek the consent mail from expat pilots so that they can show it to the vigilance team to prove that the accounts have been settled and the international workers have no objection to it. The international workers should wait till the inspection is over, else based on the reply to their mails, they will close the enquiry and many other members will lose their PF money," said the source.

A 54-year-old Jet pilot from Central America said, "I am not going to reply to the mail immediately, as they never entertained me properly at their office, nor did they ever respond to my mail."

"It's true that I received Rs 9 lakh as PF amount when our baby was born in April 2019. I was jobless and needed money to pay the hospital bill…," he said. Though he joined the carrier in 2011, his PF component began reflecting in his payslip in August 2015.

"Why the PF officials are not taking an effort and sending us mail citing ‘TOP PRIORITY' to let us know the status of our PF money from the date of joining till August 2015?" Wondered the pilot.

‘Have apprised Labour min'

Prabhakar Banasure, a member of EPFO's board of trustees, said, "I have apprised the whole episode related to the Jet Airways PF scam to Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav twice…and, I have been demanding for Sudhir Ganvir's immediate suspension, as he might destroy crucial pieces of evidence to suppress the matter but he is still holding the office where alleged multi-crore scam rocked the nation."

"I have also given him [Yadav] a photograph of Nilesh Kapadia [an ex-employee of EPFO, who has been taking care of all the PF-related work for Jet Airways] who frequently visits the Kandivli EPFO to connive with PF officials. But no action has been taken so far," said Banasure.

"I have been told by a source that till date they have conducted an investigation of four Jet pilots' PF accounts, and have concluded that there is embezzlement of around Rs 200 crore," Banasure said. An interim report on this has been shared with Chief Vigilance Officer Jeetendra Khare, he said.

"This could not be the handiwork of one person, I am sure there is a syndicate involved in the graft," said Banasure, adding they have demanded a CBI probe. He said an internal auditor first pointed to the irregularities but the auditor was transferred.

Banasure said a matter related to alleged embezzlement of funds was suppressed at Thane EPFO when Ganvir was its head.

"I am collecting every piece of evidence and will meet the prime minister to raise the issue if Ganvir is not suspended with immediate effect," said Banasure, adding if Jet pilots write to him, he would take their grievance to the Labour minister.

Ganvir remained unavailable for comment. The Central Provident Fund Commissioner Neelam Rao said, "I am busy in a national conference."

Where's our money: pilots

Amid EPFO's frantic efforts to reach out Jet pilots, a 63-year-old pilot from Trinidad and Tobago said, "There was no payment into my PF from the date of Joining in January 2014 until the first deposit in September 2015. I have no idea where the money is or who is responsible for it."

Another Jet pilot from Canada said they left India in a panic as they were jobless and no Jet executive was available to assist them properly. "After losing the job in March 2019, my priority was to go home and not to run to government offices for PF amount. Most of us were not even aware what this PF amount was. Our employer kept us in dark for many years and this helped the crooks to embezzle our money which is stuck in India and here we are suffering with no money."

Some of the Jet pilots, facing acute financial crisis, as they are yet to get the job to run their houses. Above all, aviation industry was hit hard in the pandemic and the hiring is frozen in many companies. "And the PF officials are galloping our huge huge amount. I need my PF money and I am going to approach a legal firm to sue them. The Government of India must step in to let us know the status of our PF money," said the pilot from Central America.