CBI files second status report in UP Provident Fund scam probe

New Delhi, Mar 27 (ANI): The central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today filed the second status report in the Uttar Pradesh Provident Fund Scam case probe in which the names of judicial officers including the judges of high court and one from apex court have cropped up.

The report was filed in a sealed cover before a Bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat.

The apex court asked the CBI to place before it another report relating to the probe in which it has interrogated the persons against whom no adverse findings have emerged.

The Supreme Court is to hear the matter on the first of next month.

Earlier this year, the CBI had exposed the misuse of provident fund savings of up to twenty-three crore rupees of class III and IV employees of Ghaziabad courts for the personal luxuries of judges.

Ashutosh Asthana, a treasury officer is alleged to misused his authority and used the money frivolously in procuring expensive furniture, crockery, gadgets and vehicles for himself and the involved judges.

During his interrogation, Asthana claimed that thirty-six judges had supported the scam.

He revealed that he had provided about seventy mobile handsets to various members of the judiciary.

According to the CBI sources, about 540 assorted slips, bills, pieces of papers, sketches etc were recovered from a carpenter. These relate to purchase of various raw materials for furniture items during last seven years.

It was also alleged that Asthana picked up forty-three taxi bills of judges and paid it from the provident fund money.

The Supreme Court entrusted the responsibility of the daunting probe on the Crime Bureau of Investigation after the Uttar Pradesh police failed in the task of investigating thirty-six judges. (ANI)