Nagpur-based Midland Stone Company is under investigation for allegedly forging documents from the Chandrapur District Mining Office to fraudulently claim over Rs 1.5 crore in government payments.
The company, which supplies minor minerals to Central Railway, reportedly created a fake letterhead, unauthorized stamp, and forged the signature of District Mining Officer Suresh Naitam. They used these to produce a false ‘royalty clearance’ certificate submitted to the Deputy Chief Engineer, Central Railway, Wardha, as part of their billing.
The fraud came to light when the Deputy Engineer’s office forwarded the documents to the Chandrapur District Mining Office for verification. District Mining Officer Suresh Naitam identified the letterhead, signature, stamp, and certificate as forged. Following this, Naitam filed a formal police complaint at Ramnagar Police Station in Chandrapur.
How the fraud was executed
Mining department officials said that contractors working on government projects need to get permission for minor minerals from the district mining office. After paying the mineral ownership fee and getting transportation approval, the department issues a royalty clearance certificate. This certificate is required for contractors to receive pending payments from government agencies.
However, in this case, Midland Stone Company is accused of skipping the legal process and forging the clearance certificate to claim Rs 1.5 crore from the Railways.
A senior officer from the Mining Department told the media, “The company attempted to deceive a government department using forged documents. This isn’t just a breach of trust—it’s a criminal act aimed at siphoning off public money.”
Investigation underway
The case has entered the legal phase, with investigations underway to identify who forged the documents, how they were submitted, and if any internal officials were involved.
Police sources say the incident raises concerns not only about document security in public departments but also about potential gaps in the verification process that could be exploited by unscrupulous contractors.
As the investigation continues, Midland Stone Company is now under close watch, and its future transactions with government agencies are likely to face strict scrutiny.
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