Shalarth ID scam: 3 arrested from Bhandara
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Police said the key accused is Chetak Dongre (44), acting secretary of the society and headmaster, who took over after his father Rajesh Dongre passed away in 2018. Chetak, along with Sadanand Jangde (45), a teacher whose approval proposal was sent to the deputy director of education, and Gangadhar Dongre (63), society secretary, have been arrested by the SIT formed to probe the Shalarth ID scam. Sadar police station senior inspector Manish Thakare, under DCP Rahul Madane, played a key role in the investigation.
Chetak's mother, Parvatabai (75), society president, failed to appear for questioning on June 26, 2025, citing her age. The malpractices surfaced after accused Mahendra Kar's house was searched and documents seized by authorities.
The scam allegedly involves forged Shalarth IDs to secure unauthorised teacher approvals, raising concerns about systemic fraud in educational institutions. Authorities are probing deeper into the society's operations, with further arrests and revelations expected as the investigation unfolds.
Nagpur: The Shalarth ID scam has taken a fresh twist as more malpractices surfaced in Bhandara district involving Vinod Education Society, operating as Vinod High School and Junior College of Arts and Science at Gose, Buj in taluka Paoni.
Police said the key accused is Chetak Dongre (44), acting secretary of the society and headmaster, who took over after his father Rajesh Dongre passed away in 2018. Chetak, along with Sadanand Jangde (45), a teacher whose approval proposal was sent to the deputy director of education, and Gangadhar Dongre (63), society secretary, have been arrested by the SIT formed to probe the Shalarth ID scam.
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Sadar police station senior inspector Manish Thakare, under DCP Rahul Madane, played a key role.
Chetak's mother, Parvatabai (75), society president, failed to appear for questioning on June 26, 2025, citing her age. The malpractices surfaced after accused Mahendra Kar's house was searched and documents seized by authorities.
The scam allegedly involves forged Shalarth IDs to secure unauthorised teacher approvals, raising concerns about systemic fraud in educational institutions. Authorities are probing deeper into the society's operations, with further arrests and revelations expected as the investigation unfolds.
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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Shalarth scam: Maharashtra orders verification of teacher appointments
MUMBAI: The state education department has directed all government-aided and partially aided schools to upload and verify the original approval documents of teachers and non-teaching staff appointed between November 7, 2012, and November 18, 2016. The move is part of a large-scale verification drive in the wake of the Shalarth ID scam, where fake teacher profiles were created on the government-run payments portal to siphon crores of rupees. The state government has also decided to verify the documents of teachers appointed after the recruitment ban was lifted, between November 18, 2016, and July 7, 2025, amid allegations that irregularities occurred during this period as well. (Pic for representation/Alamy Stock Photo) During this four-year period, there was a ban on issuing new Shalarth IDs owing to a pause in teacher recruitments in the state. However, thousands of appointments were made under special circumstances through a provision allowed by law, largely in schools located in tribal areas, government-aided schools, and for specific subject teachers. The state suspects that some approvals granted during this time may have been based on backdated proposals, bypassing the ban. The state government has also decided to verify the documents of teachers appointed after the recruitment ban was lifted, between November 18, 2016, and July 7, 2025, amid allegations that irregularities occurred during this period as well. It has instructed schools to upload these original documents, including the Shalarth ID approval, appointment orders, personal approval numbers, and other related records, to the government's Shalarth Pay System 2.0 by August 30. Principals, education officers and divisional deputy directors have been tasked with verifying the submissions. The scam first came to light in the Nagpur division, where bogus approvals, fake Shalarth IDs, and fraudulent Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) certificates were uncovered. Criminal cases have been registered, and five people including senior education department officials have been arrested. On Thursday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Neelesh Waghmare from Dhanteri near Nagpur. He was then head of the salary section in the Nagpur division, and had been absconding for 105 days. According to officials, the alleged scam involved the use of forged signatures and falsified documents to appoint teachers to vacant posts, in some cases leading to the wrongful disbursal of salaries. There is also suspicion of financial transactions linked to these appointments. Mahindra Ganpule, member of the Maharashtra State Principals' Association, welcomed the government's decision but raised concerns over the short deadline for schools to locate and submit the required documents. 'The verification must be rigorous. If irregularities are found, this matter could lead to a deeper investigation,' he said. Ganpule further stated that teachers are being asked to submit documents even though they are with the government department. 'The government must verify these documents from the official records available in the salary sections of teachers,' he added.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Schools told to re-upload staff documents after Shalarth scam
In the wake of the Shalarth ID scam in Maharashtra, all government and aided schools across the state have been directed to re-upload original documents of teaching and non-teaching staff appointed between November 2012 and July 2025 for verification. Schools have been told to complete the process by the end of August. Commissioner of Education Sachindra Pratap Singh has issued a letter to all education officers instructing them to oversee and complete the verification drive. Local officers are to ensure schools upload all required documents, which will be verified along with the staff members' Shalarth ID. The scam, which came to light in Nagpur division, exposed major irregularities in teacher recruitment. Investigations revealed the use of fake Shalarth IDs and bogus TET certificates to fraudulently approve and pay non-existent staff. In response, the state government has recently formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. Simultaneously the education department has expanded the verification drive to all divisions. As per the official letter, for staff appointed between November 2016 and July 2025, schools must upload the individual approval order, Shalarth ID order, appointment letter from the private management, and joining report. For the earlier period, from November 2012 to November 2016—when Shalarth IDs were not issued—schools must upload the appointment letter, joining report, and individual approval. However, the directive has sparked criticism from schools and staff. Many argue the process is an unnecessary burden on schools which have already done this process at the time of recruitment. Mahendra Ganpule of the Maharashtra School Principals' Association said, 'All these documents are already with the education offices and salary units. Instead of asking schools to repeat the process, the department should verify existing records and demand original documents for suspected entries.' The Shalarth ID is a unique identity for teachers in government and aided school staff in Maharashtra through which employment records are maintained and disbursement of salary and other benefits is ensured. Unravelling of the scam had shown that multiple fake IDs were created on the government's salary portal for teaching and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools to disburse salaries to fake teachers. While there have been few arrests by Nagpur police in this case, the state-formed SIT arrested the alleged mastermind of the scam, Nilesh Waghmare, earlier this week.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Shalarth ID scam mastermind held after 105 days on the run
1 2 Nagpur: Nilesh Baburao Waghmare, alleged mastermind of the fake Shalarth ID scam, who had been on the run for 105 days, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team on Thursday afternoon after laying a trap in Dhantoli. Police said they cut off his access to finances to nab him. The high court had recently rejected Waghmare's bail application. The scam occurred between 2019 and April 2025, when Waghmare was superintendent (primary) of the salary cell in the education department. During this time in Nagpur division, fake Shalarth IDs had been created for several teachers and non-teaching staff. Through this, the govt was defrauded of crores of rupees. The SIT has accused Waghmare of not verifying the authenticity of proposals for Shalarth IDs received from schools, and creating 680 fake IDs for teachers and non-teaching staff. Waghmare helped these persons withdraw regular and arrears salaries, defrauding the govt of crores of rupees. As soon as the scam came to light, a 7-member committee was established under the leadership of deputy director of education Ulhas Narad. The committee's investigation confirmed the fraud, and on March 12, Ravindra Patil, junior administrative officer of the divisional deputy director of education office, filed a complaint at Cyber police station against Waghmare and several others. As soon as the case was registered, Waghmare fled from Nagpur. He was later suspended also. However, even as Ulhas Narad, Parag Pudke and others were arrested for the scam, Waghmare remained elusive. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
