Double-barrelled probe ordered in Jet airways PF scam

EPFO’s office at Kandivli West that is mired in controversy. Pic/Nimesh Dave

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation has called the chief of its Kandivli office to Delhi after mid-day exposed an alleged multi-crore scam involving fraudulent settlement of PF dues of Jet Airways employees, particularly expat pilots. Sudhir Ganvir, regional provident fund commissioner, RO, Kandivli, is not cooperating with EPFO's vigilance officers, Central Board of Trustees member Prabhakar Banasure told mid-day. On August 18, the Kandivli office suspended an official for taking bribes to settle PF dues of Jet staffers.

See, there were nearly 400 International workers including pilots and crew members at Jet Airways. But Ganvir is not cooperating with the vigilance officers and he is divulging the details of only seven to eight international workers. The exact amount of scam can be ascertained only after forensic audits of the PF accounts of all the international workers are conducted… but it's a huge huge matter…," Banasure told mid-day.

Also read: Multi-crore PF scam hits Jet Airways

Another source in the PF department in Delhi said documents are not being shared with the vigilance department. "Ganvir is suppressing the matter by projecting the issue in a different way," said the source.

The PF organisation's Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) Jeetendra Khare said a departmental inquiry into the alleged PF scam has been initiated.

Khare was supposed to be in Mumbai, but plans changed after mid-day's expose. Ganvir's seniors asked him to be in Delhi. "We have read the mid-day report and are conducting an inquiry," said Khare.

mid-day has learnt that the CVO and central agencies were apprised of the seriousness of the matter through a complaint letter but no action nor departmental enquiry was conducted. "But your [mid-day] story shook the department and now they are conducting an inquiry into the multi-layered scam...," said the source.

Following calls and messages, Ganvir replied, "If you require any information please contact EPFO Head Office."

Hours after mid-day's report on August 20, former Jet pilots called from several countries called to share their ordeals.

Got internal auditor shunted

In 2019, an internal auditor pointed to some malpractices pertaining to 1,400 accounts at the Kandivli PF office. But she could not probe deeper as key documents were not provided to her, said a source.

The source said Sudhir Ganvir, the regional PF commissioner, got the auditor shunted by writing against her to the head office, which ordered her immediate transfer to the Thiruvanthapuram office.

"It was done to suppress her findings related to Jet Airways," said the source.

Another officer was tasked with the job and submitted a report that suited Ganvir, said the source.