A senior official revealed on Sunday that Nagpur Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), investigating the alleged Shalarth ID scam in Maharashtra, has uncovered that over 500 teachers were recruited bypassing the established procedures.
Shalarth is a centralized portal by the Maharashtra Government that manages payroll and service records for employees in government and government-aided schools, including teachers. The Shalarth ID is the unique identification number assigned to these teachers.
“The SIT has found that of the 622 teachers appointed, only 75 had been hired following proper procedures. The remaining 547 were appointed using fake IDs after paying Rs 20-30 lakh each. This means the scam may be worth more than Rs 100 crore,” the police official said.
SIT in-charge and Assistant Commissioner of Police Sunita Meshram said the investigation, which initially targeted Deputy Directors in the Education Department, is now focusing on education officers and teachers. She also indicated that more arrests are expected in connection with the case.
An official stated that a team went to Bhandara on Friday to arrest retired Deputy Director Satish Mendhe for his alleged involvement, but he was not found at his residence. The SIT was established in April this year to investigate the use of fake identities to disburse salaries via the Shalarth portal in Nagpur. Several arrests have been made in connection with the case so far.
SIT raids Dy Director Vanjari’s residences in Nagpur, Yavatmal
Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Nagpur Police conducted searches at two residences of Deputy Director of Education (DDE) Chintaman Vanjari – one in Surve Nagar, Nagpur, and the other in Yavatmal on Sunday. Vanjari is currently in police custody for his alleged role in the creation of bogus teacher IDs and misappropriation of salaries under the state’s Shalarth portal.
According to police sources, the searches yielded several incriminating documents, including records linked to unauthorized appointments and salary withdrawals using 281 fake Shalarth IDs. These IDs were reportedly created during Vanjari’s tenure when he held senior positions in the Primary and Secondary Education departments.
The scam came to light with the arrest of former DDE Ulhas Narad, followed by the arrests of staffers Suraj Naik, Bharat Dhawale, and Dudhalkhar. Vanjari was appointed as DDE after Narad’s suspension, and has since been under the scanner after documents suggested his active involvement in approving bogus proposals.
Vanjari, who earlier served as Primary Education Officer in Nagpur Zilla Parishad, was promoted to Secretary of the Divisional Education Board two years ago. His administrative record is now under close examination for possible deeper irregularities.
In a related update, former Deputy Director of Education Vaishali Jamdar, arrested last Friday, has reportedly revealed the names of more officials involved in the scam. Investigators have started verifying these leads as the SIT expands its investigation into what may be one of the largest recruitment frauds in Maharashtra’s education sector.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com