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Time of India
06-06-2025
- Time of India
Shalarth ID scam: SIT arrests president of Rajashri Shikshan Sanstha
Nagpur: Charan Chetule, president of Rajashri Shikshan Sanstha, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Bhandara on Thursday for his role in the Shalarth ID scam. He was involved in regularising the employment of headmaster Parag Pudke using fake documents. Following his arrest, Chetule was admitted to Mayo Hospital. The Shalarth ID scam involves the fraudulent creation of teacher IDs on the Maharashtra govt's Shalarth portal, leading to illegal appointments and salary disbursements, with over 500 teachers implicated and financial losses exceeding ₹100 crore. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Time of India
Education Scam Main Accused Parag Pudke Granted Bail
Nagpur: Parag Pudke, key accused in the education department's fake Shalarth ID scam involving forged documents and illegal appointments, was granted bail by adhoc district judge MB Oza on Saturday. The court passed the order allowing Pudke's release on a personal bond and solvent surety of Rs50,000. Pudke, a headmaster whose credentials were found to be forged during the probe, was arrested from Bhandara without a transit remand — a key point raised in his regular bail application. Represented by advocates Dipenn Jagyasi, Vijay Gupta, and Parag Vidhani, Pudke contended that his arrest was illegal and that neither he nor his family was informed of the grounds of arrest, violating mandatory legal procedures. Earlier this week, the Nagpur sessions court had also granted bail to five other key accused, including education deputy director Ulhas Narad, Nilesh Meshram, Suraj Naik, Raju Meshram, and Sanjay Bodadkar. The defence also emphasised that the case was based entirely on documentary evidence, all of which had already been seized, making custodial interrogation unnecessary. In response, the prosecution, led by DGP Nitin Telgote along with PI Manish Thakre and API Tayade from Sadar police station, opposed the bail. They argued that Pudke is the prime accused, the investigation is at a preliminary stage, and the evidence clearly links him to the crime. After hearing both sides, Oza found merit in the defence arguments and granted bail with strict conditions. Pudke must report to the investigating officer every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 10.30am and 12.30pm until the chargesheet is filed and must fully cooperate with the investigation. The Shalarth ID scam, exposed in April 2025, uncovered a network of over 580 fake IDs used to channel govt salaries to non-existent teachers and staff. Operating since 2019, the fraud enabled the appointment of unqualified individuals using forged documents across schools in the Nagpur division. In response, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed with approval from CM Devendra Fadnavis to probe the scam and examine the role of senior officials.
