Maharashtra Police’s Nashik Crime Branch has arrested a retired secondary education officer in connection with the alleged ₹160 crore fake Shalarth ID scam, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five. Investigators allege that forged appointment orders, fake Shalarth IDs, and manipulation of official government records were used to fraudulently disburse salaries and arrears to teaching and non-teaching staff, causing significant financial losses to the state exchequer. Authorities are now examining the possible involvement of additional government officials, school managements, and other beneficiaries linked to the alleged fraud network.
The arrested accused has been identified as Shashikant Hingonikar (66), a resident of Jalgaon, who served as the Secondary Education Officer at the Jalgaon Zilla Parishad between 2011 and 2015. According to investigators, during his tenure he allegedly issued individual approval orders for 259 teaching and non-teaching employees despite the absence of any official proposals or supporting documentation in the Education Department’s records.
Police said the alleged scam came to light after a complaint was registered at Nashik Road Police Station in March 2025. During the investigation, authorities uncovered evidence suggesting that fake Shalarth IDs were created to facilitate fraudulent salary and arrear payments from the state treasury. Preliminary findings estimate that the alleged fraud resulted in a financial loss of nearly ₹160 crore to the Maharashtra government.
Investigators further revealed that evidence collected so far indicates that 841 teaching and non-teaching employees across Nashik, Jalgaon, Dhule, and Nandurbar districts were allegedly granted illegal backdated appointments. Fake approval orders were then reportedly used to generate Shalarth IDs, enabling fraudulent salary and arrear payments. Police are now working to identify the officials, employees, and institutions that may have participated in or facilitated the alleged scheme.
Acting on technical surveillance and specific intelligence inputs, the Crime Branch traced Hingonikar to Dhule and arrested him. He was produced before a court, which remanded him to police custody. Investigators are questioning the accused to gather details about the alleged network, the preparation of forged documents, and the financial transactions linked to the scam.
According to police, the scope of the investigation continues to expand. Nearly 1,200 individuals have now come under scrutiny, including school principals, trustees, former Deputy Directors of Education, education officers, pay superintendents, and other officials. Investigators are cross-verifying departmental records, appointment files, salary disbursement data, digital records, and supporting documents to determine where procedural violations occurred and how the alleged fraud was executed.
Cyber experts at the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF) said that large-scale financial and document frauds increasingly involve not only forged paperwork but also manipulation of digital records, identity management systems, and government databases. The experts stressed that preventing such fraud requires real-time interdepartmental data verification, comprehensive digital audit trails, regular forensic audits, and continuous monitoring of sensitive government information systems. They added that implementing multi-layer verification mechanisms for appointments, salary approvals, and digital identity management can significantly reduce the risk of organised financial fraud involving public funds.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing, with digital evidence, departmental records, financial documents, and the roles of other officials continuing to be examined. Authorities stated that if additional individuals or institutions are found to be involved, further arrests and legal action will follow in accordance with the findings of the investigation.
