Shalarth 'scam': SIT says over 540 teachers recruited fraudulently; amount could cross Rs 100 crore

Nagpur: The special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged 'Shalarth ID' scam in Maharashtra has found that more than 500 teachers were recruited without following laid down procedures, a senior official said on Sunday.

Shalarth is a centralised portal of the Maharashtra government to manage payroll and service records of staffers of government and government-aided schools, including teachers. Shalarth ID refers to the teacher identification number allotted to such staffers.

"The SIT has found that of the 622 teachers appointed, only 75 were hired following proper procedures. The remaining 547 were appointed using fake IDs after paying anything between 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 probe, apart from deputy directors in the education department, is now focusing on education officers and teachers.

Moe arrests are likely in the case, Meshram added.

An official said a team had gone to Bhandara on Friday to arrest retired deputy director Satish Mendhe for his alleged involvement but the latter was not found at his residence.

The SIT was formed in April this year to probe how fake identities were used to disburse salaries through the Shalarth portal in Nagpur. Several people have been arrested in the case so far.