Mumbai: The education department has launched criminal proceedings against five school education officers from Nagpur for their alleged involvement in a major salary scam. The officers are accused of forging documents and authorizing the inclusion of fake teaching and non-teaching staff in government-aided schools in order to siphon off government funds. The scam is believed to have caused a loss of over ₹100 crore to the state exchequer. Authorities are now checking for similar irregularities in other districts.
According to a news report in an English national newspaper, twelve schools in Nagpur fraudulently listed 580 fake teachers and non-teaching staff on the government’s ‘Shalarth’ portal—a digital platform used to disburse staff salaries. The education department has been unknowingly paying salaries to these fictitious employees since 2019.
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08 April 2025
“The education officers, along with deputy directors and school managements, conspired to register these fake employees on the Shalarth portal using login credentials of the education directorate,” the report said. “This continued for nearly six years until new officers, who refused to participate in the fraud, exposed the irregularities.”
The preliminary inquiry report, submitted to the education commissioner on March 7, prompted the state government to appoint a special committee to investigate the matter and suggest actions under departmental rules. Based on initial findings, the school education department has recommended criminal charges against five officials and is seeking recovery of the siphoned funds.
Some schools have reportedly returned a portion of the illicitly drawn salaries. Authorities have confirmed that strict action will also be taken against all school managements involved in the scam.
“We have received the director’s report, and action has been proposed against the officials concerned,” said Ranjit Singh Deol, Principal Secretary of the School Education Department. “The school education minister is expected to make a decision soon. This is a serious matter, and we are treating it as such.”
Another senior education official emphasized the need for stringent action to set an example. “If we don’t recover the funds or punish those responsible, we risk facing legal challenges, especially with several court cases already pending regarding government aid,” the official said.
The scam also has political undertones, as some of the implicated schools are reportedly linked to political leaders in Nagpur. Similar cases have surfaced in Solapur and other districts, prompting the department to direct district-level officers to conduct thorough reviews. In some instances, funds were released to schools even before formal government approvals for aid were granted.
