Nagpur: The Nagpur Cyber Police have arrested Nilesh Waghmare (50), the alleged mastermind behind the multi-crore Shalarth ID scam, after he remained absconding for over four months. A resident of Vasudeo Nagar on Hingna Road, Waghmare was working as Superintendent in the Pay Unit (Education Department–Primary) at the office of the Deputy Director of Education when the scam unfolded.
According to investigators, between 2019 and April 9, 2025, Waghmare and his associates fraudulently created 680 bogus IDs of teaching and non-teaching staff, enabling appointments on fake credentials. The probe revealed that appointment proposals forwarded by schools were not properly verified under his watch. In several cases, jobs were granted without mandatory clearance from the Deputy Director of Education’s office.
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14 Aug 2025
Further, many appointments were allegedly processed using backdated letters, allowing individuals not only to secure illegal jobs but also to draw arrears through the Primary Education’s Pay Unit. Investigators said the scam defrauded the state treasury of crores of rupees, with complicity from officers at multiple levels.
The scam came to light after one of the insiders, reportedly sidelined in the process, turned whistleblower. Waghmare, whose role was identified early in the investigation, went underground soon after the FIR was lodged. Police said as they were preparing to declare him a proclaimed offender, he resurfaced and was subsequently arrested.
Produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court No. 10, Waghmare has been remanded to police custody till August 19 for further interrogation.
So far, the ongoing investigation has led to the arrest of 17 people, including three former Deputy Directors of Education, three Education Officers, four clerks, two school directors, and three assistant teachers. Police believe more arrests may follow as the probe progresses.
