Nagpur – In a significant development in the alleged multi-crore Shalarth ID scam, the Ad-Hoc District & Additional Sessions Judge, Nagpur has granted anticipatory bail to Shivling Namdeo Patwe, Joint Director of Education, currently posted in Amravati. Patwe was earlier serving as Secondary Education Officer in Nagpur during the time the scam is alleged to have taken place.
The case stems from an FIR registered at Sadar Police Station, Nagpur, which claims that fraudulent Shalarth IDs were issued to several individuals who did not meet eligibility criteria. The scam allegedly involved forging personal approval forms, falsely certifying that individuals had five years of teaching experience, thereby making them eligible for promotions and significant salary hikes.
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24 April 2025
According to the prosecution, over 600 teachers across Maharashtra may have benefited from this alleged fraud, leading to losses worth crores of rupees to the state exchequer. It was alleged that these forged documents were approved by certain officers in the Education Department, including Patwe, during his tenure in Nagpur (2017–2020), and later used after his promotion to SSC Board Secretary (Ratnagiri) and eventually as Deputy Director, Amravati.
Patwe moved the court for anticipatory bail after being named in the investigation. Advocate Prakash Naidu, appearing on his behalf, argued that Patwe’s alleged signature was forged, and that inquiries with the SSC Board, Nagpur, revealed no record of the controversial letters or approval forms. The SSC Board confirmed that no such documents were ever received or dispatched, nor were they entered in any official inward/outward registers.
Naidu also highlighted that the police, in a public press note, had already arrested one Mr. Maheshkar, who is alleged to have forged Patwe’s signature. Given the absence of direct incriminating evidence against Patwe and the possible damage to his reputation and career, the defense urged the court to consider the bail favorably.
Taking into account the facts and arguments presented, the court granted anticipatory bail to Patwe. He was represented by a legal team including Advocates Prakash Naidu, Homesh Chauhan, Mitesh Bais, Surabhi Godbole Naidu, and Dhruv Sharma.
The case continues to unfold, with the probe pointing toward a wider network within the education department, potentially implicating more individuals in the days to come.
