Sadar Police arrested Ulhas Narad, Deputy Director of Education, from Gadchiroli and a Principal of a school late Friday night. Narad is accused of approving a fake Shalarth ID (a teacher identification number) based on forged documents and enable an ineligible person to draw Government salary and secure promotion. The accused were produced in the court and were remanded to the police custody till April 14. The accused have been identified as Ulhas Kawaduji Narad (54), a resident of Flat No. 101 Kamdhenu Apartment, Manewada Road, behind Apulki Hospital, Hudkeshwar, and Parag Nanaji Pudke (33), a resident at Jevatala village, Lakhni, district Bhandara. Accused Parag Pudke allegedly created fake service records and claimed prior teaching experience at a private school in Nagpur. Using these documents, he was appointed as the Headmaster of Nanaji Pudke Vidyalaya in Jevatala village. According to police, Deputy Director Ulhas Narad approved the Shalarth ID and the promotion despite the absence of genuine teaching experience or employment history.

 

With the help of these forged documents, Pudke was appointed as Principal and received a Government salary. Narad was brought to Nagpur in the midnight and is currently in police custody. In connection with the same case, Principal Pudke has also been arrested. The scandal came to light following a complaint at the Sadar Police Station. Investigations revealed that several ineligible persons may have been issued fake Shalarth IDs to receive Government salary since 2019.

 

Officials estimate that salaries for around 580 teachers and non-teaching staff were paid illegally through this scam. Just two days ago, the Government suspended Nilesh Waghmare, Primary Pay Team Superintendent, after preliminary findings indicated his involvement in the misuse of Shalarth IDs. Waghmare’s suspension and now, the arrest of Narad, have triggered a stir within the Education Department. Police are also investigating the role of other officials from the Zilla Parishad’s Education Department to scan a larger network of corruption. The case was registered under Sections 420, 465, 468, 471, 472, 409, 120 (b), 34 of the IPC. The case is being investigated by Senior Police Inspector Manish Thakre and his team.