Mumbai Police Scam: ₹6.41 Crore Diverted Through 10 Fake Employees

A major payroll scam has been uncovered in the Mumbai Police, with ₹6.41 crore allegedly diverted through 10 fictitious employees. The scam came to light during the migration of employee records from the old payroll system to new software, where officials noticed discrepancies in salary records.

The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested Ramkishan Goswami, former Administrative Officer of the North Regional Division, in connection with the case. Goswami is the first person to be arrested in this case. One of the accused had resigned from his job in 2020-21, citing that his wife's family was financially well-off.

According to sources, the accused's wife is originally from Punjab and is currently residing in Canada. There is speculation that the accused resigned after getting an indication that the scam might be exposed. The alleged fraud took place during two periods: December 2019 to February 2020 and June to September 2020.

During this time, salaries were regularly credited to the names of 10 persons who were not actually serving in the Mumbai Police. Investigators suspect that fake Service IDs and DCPS IDs were created to show the fictitious individuals as legitimate employees in the payroll system.

The Crime Branch is investigating who created the fake records, what documents were used, and who approved the salary bills. Five people have been booked in connection with the alleged scam, including Goswami, Nagesh Talwadekar, Vijaya Chavan, Head Clerk Ajay Rathod, and Senior Clerk Amol Meshram.

Vijaya Chavan and Amol Meshram have allegedly been involved in creating fake Service IDs and DCPS IDs and have been suspended. Following Goswami's arrest, investigators are now examining the exact role played by each accused and whether other officials were involved.

The key question before the Crime Branch is where the ₹6.41 crore allegedly credited in the names of the fictitious employees has gone. The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are expected.

The scam has raised questions about the internal controls and audit mechanisms in place in the Mumbai Police. The fact that the scam went undetected for six years has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the police department's financial management systems.

The Mumbai Police has assured that it will take strong action against those involved in the scam and will work to prevent such incidents in the future. The case is a reminder of the need for vigilance and transparency in government departments to prevent corruption and financial irregularities.

The investigation into the scam is ongoing, and it is expected that more details will emerge in the coming days. The Mumbai Police has appealed to anyone with information about the scam to come forward and assist in the investigation.

In conclusion, the Mumbai Police payroll scam is a serious incident that has raised concerns about corruption and financial irregularities in government departments. The investigation is ongoing, and it is expected that those responsible will be brought to justice.