Two Mumbai Police Staffers Suspended Over ₹6.5 Crore ‘Ghost Salary’ Scam
Mumbai: In a major financial fraud case, two employees of the Mumbai Police have been suspended for allegedly diverting nearly ₹6.5 crore through fake salary accounts created in the names of non-existent police personnel.
The suspended officials have been identified as Vijaya Ashok Chavan, an office superintendent attached to the Armed Police unit in Marol, and Amol Arunrao Meshram, a senior clerk with the Western Regional Division.
According to officials from the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, the duo allegedly created fake service IDs and pension scheme records for 10 fictitious police employees during the department’s transition to a new salary portal. The fraudulent accounts were then used to receive salary payments meant for these imaginary personnel.
Investigators said that some ministerial-level clerical staff allegedly helped in preparing fake attendance records and documents to make the ghost employees appear legitimate. Suspicious salary transactions were detected between December 2019 and February 2020, and again from June to September 2020, when funds were reportedly transferred into these fake accounts.
Following the findings of the preliminary investigation, the Joint Commissioner of Police (Administration) suspended both officials under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979. The suspension order stated that further action would depend on the ongoing inquiry and court proceedings.
The case has raised concerns over loopholes in administrative checks and the need for stronger verification systems in government salary processes. Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify any other individuals who may have been involved in the alleged scam.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
