Navi Mumbai Police Register FIR in Rs 1.25 Crore Shalarth ID Fraud Case
In a significant development, the Vashi police station in Navi Mumbai has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a retired deputy director of the education department and 18 other individuals. The case involves allegations of cheating, forgery, and criminal breach of trust related to a Shalarth ID scam that reportedly embezzled approximately Rs 1.25 crore from government funds.
Details of the Alleged Scam and Accused Parties
The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by Rajendra Ahire, the Vashi divisional chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). According to the complaint, the retired official, identified as Nitin Upasani, colluded with individuals from two educational institutions—Janata Shikshan Prasarak Mandal in Alibaug and Khopoli Taluka Shikshan Prasarak Mandal in Khopoli. The alleged conspiracy involved preparing Shalarth IDs using forged documents to recruit teachers, enabling them to draw monthly salary grants illegally.
Shashikant Chandekar, senior inspector of Vashi police station, stated: "The scrutiny of official documents revealed that all 19 accused were involved in the offence from August 2018. This occurred during Upasani's tenure as the Vashi divisional chairman of MSBSHSE, allowing teachers recruited with forged documents to access government salary grants, leading to the alleged embezzlement of around Rs 1.25 crore."
Role of Shalarth IDs and Specific Allegations
In Maharashtra, Shalarth IDs are crucial for teachers in government and aided schools, as they maintain service records and facilitate salary payments. The FIR details that one of the accused, Shekhar Kulkarni, illegally obtained a Shalarth ID for his wife, Gayatri Kulkarni, who was attached to Sakharam Vaman Joshi High School in Dombivli, Thane district. Upasani is accused of colluding in preparing this ID using forged documents.
The list of accused includes present and former principals, teachers, and officials from the implicated institutions. From Janata Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, Alibag, the accused are:
- Secretary Milind Patil
- Former principal Anil Patil
- Current principal Sonali Patil
- Assistant teachers Mayuri Patil, Jayesh Patil, Swapnil Raut, and Vaibhav Gosavi
From Khopoli Taluka Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, the accused include:
- Supervisor Kishore Patil
- Principal N B Pawar
- Staff members N Ramaswamy, D P Haridas, N B Khanvilkar, P G Patil
- Current principal D P Gaikwad
- Assistant teacher Prachi Nalawade
- Director Dinesh Gurav
- Shekhar Kulkarni and his spouse, Gayatri Kulkarni
Additionally, there are other unidentified accused in the case, highlighting the potential scale of the fraud.
Previous Arrest and Ongoing Legal Proceedings
This is not the first time Upasani has faced legal action in connection with Shalarth ID fraud. In December last year, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Nashik city police arrested him for allegedly colluding with the management of educational institutes in Jalgaon, Chalisgaon, and Dhule to prepare Shalarth IDs for fake teacher recruitments.
Ramdas Shelke, police inspector of Nashik city police station, explained: "After arresting Upasani, he was in police custody for 10 days before being released on bail by the Nashik JMFC court. However, the Nashik rural police later obtained his police custody remand for a similar FIR, and he is currently in jail custody at Nashik Central Prison."
The registration of this new FIR in Navi Mumbai underscores the ongoing investigations into widespread corruption within the education sector, aiming to hold accountable those involved in defrauding public funds meant for teacher salaries.
