CHENNAI: Central Bureau of Investigation sleuths on Monday arrested the Employees Provident Fund Organisation regional commissioner in an alleged bribery case involving a major educational organisation hours before he was to address the media. Six others were arrested in this connection.

Soon after the arrests, officials said the new dates for the media conference on the EPFO migrating online would be announced later.

CBI sources said regional commissioner E S Durga Prasad, enforcement officers Ezhumalai and Manikandan, alleged conduit Sudalai Muthu, his manager Suryanarayana, alleged bribe giver Sengottaiyan and Raja, a friend of Prasad, were nabbed in the case in which the Saveetha Group of Institutions has also been named.

CBI officials booked the accused under Sections 7, 12, 13 (2), 13 (1) (b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and a CBI court remanded them in prison till February 2.

CBI sources said Durga Prasad had allegedly demanded Rs 25 lakh as illegal gratification for favouring the educational group which runs an university and a few colleges in Tamil Nadu.

Based on a tip, CBI sleuths laid a trap and nabbed Durga Prasad near Ambattur while accepting the bribe of Rs 14.5 lakh from Sengottiyan, after it was handed over by Muthu. Durga Prasad was nabbed in an SUV driven by his friend Raja. Muthu and Suryanarayana are employees of the educational group.