In a major breakthrough, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Anil Pardhi, former Deputy Director of Education, on Wednesday in connection with the Shalarth ID scam, which exposed widespread corruption in government-aided school teacher recruitments.
This came just a day after the arrest of Laxman Magam, a clerk in the Education Department, who had been evading arrest for over a month. Magam was found hiding at a friend’s residence in Dabha and was remanded to police custody until May 26 after being produced in court.
Investigators believe the duo played key roles in the creation of nearly 1,500 fake Shalarth IDs, allowing unqualified individuals to secure teacher jobs. These fake IDs were also used for unauthorized promotions, compromising the integrity of the recruitment system.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Sunita Meshram, the arrests followed interrogation and digital evidence collected under the supervision of Zonal DCP Rahul Madane. The SIT was formed by Commissioner of Police Ravinder Singal on May 15 to investigate the case.
Currently, 623 suspicious IDs are under scrutiny. Police have recorded statements from over 30 school heads and management staff. Magam allegedly charged Rs20,000 per fake ID, working under instructions from Ulhas Narad, another former deputy director who is out on bail.
The scam also involved extortion, with aspiring teachers paying up to Rs10 lakh for placements, only a small portion of which was passed on to clerical staff like Magam.
Another major suspect, Nilesh Waghmare, is still at large and considered a “big fish” in the scam. The SIT plans to challenge the bail of officials like Narad and intensify efforts to uncover the broader network.
The Shalarth ID scam has triggered public outrage and prompted demands for greater transparency in teacher recruitment. Authorities are now under pressure to implement reforms to prevent such breaches in the education system.
