Nagpur: The noose is tightening in the multi-crore Shalarth ID scam, as the Nagpur Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday arrested former Deputy Director of Education, Nagpur Division, Vaishali Jamdar. She was picked up from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar after evading repeated summons.
Jamdar had been under the scanner from the early days of the investigation but allegedly dodged multiple notices. Her arrest was cleared by top officials from the Maharashtra Home Department, leading to a swift police operation in Sambhaji Nagar. She was brought to Nagpur under a transit warrant and is now in police custody.
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20 May 2025
Simultaneously, authorities are on the lookout for another key figure — Satish Mendhe, also a former Deputy Director (Education) and brother of a former Bhandara MP. Mendhe has reportedly gone into hiding after his name prominently surfaced during the probe.
The scam centres around the fraudulent creation of Shalarth IDs, the state’s digital payroll and HR system for school employees. Investigators believe that between 2019 and 2024, as many as 622 fake entries were generated, with 150 IDs allegedly created under the watch of Jamdar and Mendhe.
A high-level probe, led by Madhuri Savarkar from the School Education Department, laid bare the extent of the fraud. Acting on a formal complaint lodged by then Deputy Director Ulhas Narad, the Cyber Police have been rounding up accused individuals since earlier this week.
The arrests began with Laxman Mangham, followed by former Divisional Education Board Chairman and retired Deputy Director Anil Pardhi. On Thursday, in-charge Deputy Director Chintaman Vanjari was also taken into custody.
Friday’s arrest of Jamdar marks a significant escalation, as authorities push forward with arrest warrants for other accused. The SIT operation included Assistant Police Inspector Mulani from Sitabuldi Police Station, ASI Chikhlikar, and a Sadar Police constable.
Despite a raid at his known address, Satish Mendhe remains untraceable. “We are actively pursuing leads to locate and apprehend him,” police officials confirmed.
The probe is expected to deepen, with more arrests likely as digital and documentary evidence is scrutinized.
