Police have arrested a deputy director of the Maharashtra Education Department for allegedly facilitating a fraudulent appointment by issuing a teacher identification number, known as a Shalarth ID, to an ineligible candidate, officials said on Saturday.
The accused officer, identified as Ulhas Narad, was apprehended in Gadchiroli on Friday night. According to officials at the Sadar police station, Narad approved the issuance of the teacher ID to Parag Nanaji Pudke, who had submitted forged documents falsely claiming teaching experience at a private school in Nagpur.
Using the Shalarth ID, Pudke not only secured a salaried government job but also earned a promotion. He was eventually appointed as the head of Nanaji Pudke Vidyalaya in Jevatala, located in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district.
Pudke has also been arrested in connection with the case. Further investigation is underway to determine how the fraud was uncovered and whether other officials were involved.