Vadodara: An internal investigation conducted by the Panchmahal police has revealed a significant fraud within the traffic department in Godhra. A woman assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and a Gram Rakshak Dal (GRD) jawan are accused of embezzling Rs 6.49 lakh by fraudulently listing their relatives as Traffic Brigade volunteers.
How the Scam Was Uncovered
The scam came to light when authorities discovered that several Traffic Brigade (TRB) jawans, who were not assigned any duties between June 2024 and February 2025, were marked as present in official records. An investigation has been ongoing since July to address this discrepancy.
The Godhra A Division police station collected duty registers, bank statements, and related documents to verify the irregularities. The probe revealed that after showing TRB personnel present on paper, wage bills were prepared and funds were credited to bank accounts. Further scrutiny indicated that wages intended for 19 TRB jawans were transferred to only five bank accounts.
Key Accused and Their Roles
The accounts belonged to relatives of traffic department ASI Samrath Nayi and GRD jawan Vijay Damor, who was working as a computer operator. Nayi was serving as the account writer head in the traffic branch. The accounts were held in the names of four of Nayi's relatives: her brother Ramesh Nayi, his wife Bindu, their son Devkumar, and Nayi's husband Raman, as well as Damor's brother, Vinod Damor. A total of Rs 6.49 lakh was credited to these accounts, police said.
Arrests and Legal Action
When questioned, the account holders claimed the money had been deposited by mistake and stated that it was returned to Samrath Nayi and Vijay Damor. All the accused except Vinod Damor have been arrested and remanded to two days of police custody. The Godhra A Division police registered a case against Nayi, Damor, and the five account holders under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to criminal breach of trust by a person entrusted with property, forgery, falsification of accounts, and allied offenses.
