Latest news with #ShalarthIDs
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Edu officer who led inquiry into Nagpur teacher appointments fraud arrested
MUMBAI: In a significant development in the fraudulent teacher appointments fraud (Shalarth ID scam) in Nagpur, the Cyber Police on Thursday night arrested Chintaman Vanjari, who led the official inquiry into the scam, for his involvement in the scam. Vanjari is currently working as a divisional chairperson of the state education board. Vanjari's arrest marks a dramatic turn in a case. The police action against him comes a day after the arrest of a clerk in the deputy director of education's office, Laxman Upasrao Mangham, for allegedly creating fake IDs. According to investigators, Mangham's interrogation led to the flagging of Vanjari's name. Vanjari was also allegedly named during earlier interrogations of the other accused. The scam, believed to have been running since 2019, involved the illegal generation of Shalarth IDs, digital identifiers used to disburse salaries for ineligible teaching and non-teaching staff, in Nagpur district. Many of these appointments took place even when the government's official recruitment process was on hold. The scam came to light after Ravindra Dnyaneshwar Patil, a junior administrative officer, filed a formal complaint with the cyber police on March 12, reportedly on the instructions of then divisional deputy director, Ulhas Narad. Following this, a seven-member committee was formed in March under Narad to investigate the misuse of Shalarth IDs. However, on April 11, Narad was arrested after it was found he too had created fake Shalarth IDs. After Narad's arrest, a new committee was led by Madhuri Savarkar, an education department officer. However, the inquiry was abruptly halted in April with no reason and Vanjari was brought in to lead the investigation. His report submitted to the education commissioner in February listed 244 suspicious appointments, triggering further scrutiny. In April, the state government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into how the fabricated identities were uploaded onto the Shalarth portal to draw salaries of teachers and non-teaching staff. 'This case has exposed serious lapses and collusion within the education department,' a senior officer from the SIT said. 'We are closing in on the main masterminds.' Police suspect that forged documents and signatures, including those of the late education officer Someshwar Naitam, were used to appoint teachers fraudulently between 2010 and 2014, with their IDs created years later. The SIT has now turned its attention to another senior officer already under suspicion, with further arrests likely
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Time of India
Shalarth ID scam: Another top edu official in SIT net
Nagpur: In a significant breakthrough on Wednesday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested former deputy director of education Anil Pardhi in the Shalarth ID scam that rocked the education department, said assistant commissioner of police Sunita Meshram. Pardhi will be produced before the court on Thursday. On Tuesday, the SIT had arrested Laxman Magam, an education department clerk, after a month-long manhunt, marking a critical step in unravelling the fraud involving the creation of approximately 1,500 fake Shalarth IDs used for irregular teacher recruitments and promotions in govt aided schools. Magam was nabbed from a friend's residence at Dabha. Magam was produced before a court on Wednesday and remanded in police custody until May 26. The SIT, led by ACP Meshram under zonal DCP Rahul Madane, had requested 10-day custody but was granted six days to probe further. Searches were conducted at Magam's residence at Dabha following his arrest. His interrogation led to Pardhi's arrest on Wednesday. Commissioner of police Ravinder Singal formed the nine-member SIT on May 15. It has been tasked with investigating two cases related to the Shalarth ID scam. Currently, 623 fraudulent Shalarth IDs are under scrutiny, with statements recorded from around 30 school management representatives and headmasters. According to SIT sources, Magam charged Rs20,000 per fake ID, acting on instructions from former deputy director of education Ulhas Narad, who is currently out on bail. Investigations reveal that top officials, including Narad, allegedly extorted Rs10 lakh from aspiring teachers, passing a fraction of the amount to Magam for generating fake IDs using forged documents. This systematic fraud allowed unqualified candidates to secure teaching positions, undermining the integrity of the education system. The SIT is now intensifying its probe, with another key suspect, Nilesh Waghmare, on its radar. Described as a 'big fish' in the scam, Waghmare's potential arrest could further expose the web of corruption. The team also plans to challenge the bail of several top officials, including Narad, arguing that their custody is essential for deeper investigation into the scam's operations. The scandal has sparked outrage, highlighting systemic flaws in the education department's oversight mechanisms. The fake Shalarth IDs not only enabled fraudulent recruitments but also siphoned off public funds meant for legitimate educators. The SIT's ongoing investigation aims to hold all culprits accountable and restore trust in the system. As the probe continues, the education department faces mounting pressure to implement stricter regulations and transparency measures.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Time of India
Greed blew the lid off multi-cr teacher hiring scam in Maha?
Nagpur: The multi-crore teacher hiring scam for which a special investigation team (SIT) has now been set up, may have remained under wraps had it not been for the 'greed' of scamsters. A top source who preferred anonymity, said ' corrupt education officials ' went for a larger slice of the ill-gotten gains that raised the red flag. These officials, overconfident in pulling off the scam, submitted salary bills dating back a decade which led to massive payment demand and this popped up on the radar of the education department. Explaining the complicated case in simple terms, the source said "The entire teacher hiring scam is related to creation of Shalarth IDs, which is a unique number given to teachers so that they can get paid. Corrupt officials created this ID for ghost teachers, or for real persons but in a fraudulent manner." Before talking about how greed got the better of these corrupt officials, TOI's source mentioned how this scam was operating successfully. "It involved three parties. One was the education official, second was the school trustee and third was the so-called teacher. Education officials used their login credentials for creating the Shalarth ID portal and allotted a unique number to this teacher so that payments started," said the source. It seems the scam worked perfectly till officials kept the teacher hiring date post-2018/19, that's when Shalarth ID was introduced. The source said "As per the scam, the teacher enters the Shalarth database in 2020 or 2021, and the salary kicks off. But these greedy corrupt officials decided to enter the hiring date of teachers from 2012 or 2013. By doing this, they can claim backdated wages. With teachers earning anywhere from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh per month, you do the math on a decade of back wages." This act of greed, the source said, led to the scam getting exposed and ultimately the investigations. "There are talks that just over Rs 200 crore was disbursed as salary under this scam," the source added. Police are investigating hundreds of such Shalarth ID creations.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
CP Singal Sets Up SIT, Sadar ACP To Probe Shalarth ID Scam
Nagpur: Upon instructions from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis , police commissioner Ravinder Singal has constituted a Special Investigation Team ( SIT ) to probe the Shalarth ID education scam. The SIT will be headed by ACP Anita Meshram of Sadar division and will include officers from both Sadar police and the Cyber Cell. The scam, involving fraudulent generation of Shalarth IDs — used to manage salaries of government teachers — has prompted the registration of multiple cases under serious charges, including cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, and cybercrime. Cases have been filed at both Sadar police station and Cyber police station. Singal's order emphasized the wide scope of the scam and noted the likelihood of more individuals being implicated as the investigation deepens. The SIT has been granted full authority to pursue all leads and ensure a thorough probe, especially into digital records and forged documents. Speaking to TOI, DCP Rahul Madane said, "Our primary objective is to identify all those involved. While the scam appears to be confined to the city limits, we are also investigating its possible links at the zilla parishad level." Inspector Manish Thakare, who is leading the on-ground investigations, said, "Our goal is to bring the accused back behind bars. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Experts Stunned by New ED Trick (Works in Minutes) Modern Man Compass Undo Currently, five of them are out on bail, while two remain in custody." He added that the accused out on bail are regularly reporting to the police station as mandated, and that a parallel investigation is underway to monitor their activities closely. Cyber Cell inspector Baliram Sutar told TOI that the probe is progressing steadily. "There is no new angle at present, but we are strictly following protocol and continuing with the original line of investigation." Meanwhile, Milind Wankhede, founder president of Vidarbha Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, expressed his gratitude toward the state government. "We are thankful to CM Fadnavis, who also oversees the home department, for taking our demands seriously and ordering the formation of the SIT. This step has given us hope that the investigation will now gather pace and those guilty will be brought to justice." With the SIT now operational, authorities are hopeful that the scam, which has rattled the education sector, will be unravelled in its entirety, ensuring accountability and restoring public trust.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Time of India
Shalarth ID scam key accused Narad, 4 others granted bail
Nagpur: The Nagpur sessions court on Wednesday granted conditional bail to Shalarth ID scam main accused education deputy director Ulhas Narad , Nilesh Meshram, Suraj Naik, Raju Meshram, and Sanjay Bodadkar. Dubbed as one of the largest scams that rocked Maharashtra's education sector, the case exposed 580 fake Shalarth IDs , which were allegedly used to disburse salaries to bogus teachers and non-teaching staff, causing a massive financial loss to the state exchequer. The scam, uncovered in April 2025, revealed a systematic fraud operating since 2019 across schools in Nagpur division. Investigations found that fake Shalarth IDs were generated to appoint unqualified individuals, some without teaching experience, as teachers and headmasters. Forged documents facilitated these appointments without verification, enabling illicit salary payments. The scale of the scam prompted the education department to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising police and education officials to probe fraudulent appointments and potential involvement of senior officials. CM Devendra Fadnavis had approved SIT probe into the scam. Narad faces the gravest charges for approving headmaster appointments based on fake documents. Arrested in Gadchiroli on April 12, 2025, Narad along with salary squad superintendent Nilesh Waghmare, Nilesh Meshram, Naik, Raju Meshram, and Bodadkar, colluded to allegedly orchestrate the scam. The scam has exposed deep-rooted corruption in the education sector, leading to the suspension of several officials, including Narad, Waghmare, Meshram, and Bodadkar. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your TV subscriptions paid for by solar panel fundings solar panels Solar Panel Funding Read More Undo During Wednesday's hearing, advocates Anmol Goswami, Kamal Satuja, and Kailash Dodani, representing Bodadkar, argued that the evidence against the accused was insufficient and, with the investigation complete, their detention was unnecessary. The court granted bail, though the terms and conditions remain undisclosed. The scam, estimated to be running into crores, has sparked public outrage, with social organisations and political leaders, including BJP MLC Sandeep Joshi, demanding a thorough investigation. Opposition parties have criticised the govt for failing to curb corruption. It is alleged that one accused, Parag Pudke, based on forged documents secured the post of headmaster despite not being eligible for even a teacher's post. Even after being brought to his notice, Narad did not take any action and rather supported Pudke to continue in the job by allegedly pocketing a huge amount from him. It is further alleged that the other co-accused Nilesh Meshram accepted Rs10,50,000 from Pudke and gave Rs20,000 to one accused Suraj Naik and Rs30,000 to Sanjay Bodadkar, and the remaining amount was distributed between Narad and Nilesh Meshram.
