An internal investigation by the Minority Welfare Department in Uttar Pradesh has uncovered a startling case of administrative oversight: a madrasa teacher from Sant Kabir Nagar district continued to receive regular salary increments and later pension benefits for nearly ten years — despite living in the United Kingdom and acquiring British citizenship.
Official records reviewed during the probe show that no verification of service or attendance was conducted during this period. The case has now triggered legal proceedings and raised broader questions over institutional accountability and monitoring of foreign-based employees drawing salaries from the Indian exchequer.
From Madrasa Appointment to Permanent Stay Abroad
According to government documents, Shamsul Huda Khan was appointed as an assistant teacher on July 12, 1984, at Darul Uloom Ahle Sunnat Ashrafia Madrasa in Mubarakpur, Azamgarh.
He was later transferred to Sant Kabir Nagar district, where he continued to be listed as a teaching staff member under the state’s minority welfare department.
However, since 2007, Khan has been residing permanently in the United Kingdom.
He obtained British citizenship on December 19, 2013, yet his name remained on the payroll records of the madrasa, and annual salary increments were routinely approved without verification.
2017: Voluntary Retirement and Pension Approval
In 2017, the department granted Khan voluntary retirement along with full pension benefits — a decision that, investigators say, violated established service norms.
Under government rules, pension approval requires a thorough service verification and clearance report. But in this case, the approval was given without any formal review.
Investigators described the pension sanction as a “clear breach of administrative procedure and oversight.”
ATS Investigation Exposes Cross-Border Links
The case drew further attention when the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) initiated a parallel investigation into Khan’s overseas activities.
The ATS report suggested that he had maintained links with religious groups in Pakistan and regularly traveled between different regions there.
It also noted his interactions with individuals in Jammu and Kashmir and his alleged involvement in promoting Islamic teachings and ideological outreach through digital and social media platforms.
The findings have been shared with higher authorities for additional scrutiny.
Criminal Proceedings and Institutional Response
Following the ATS report, the District Minority Welfare Officer of Sant Kabir Nagar lodged a formal First Information Report (FIR) at Khilalabad police station.
Authorities have also sealed the madrasa where Khan was employed.
Officials confirmed that he already faces two previous cases registered in Sant Kabir Nagar and Azamgarh, with charge sheets filed in local courts.
Sources said the department has initiated a comprehensive audit to determine how salary disbursements and pension approvals were processed despite Khan’s prolonged absence from India.
Systemic Lapses and Policy Concerns
The incident has sparked widespread debate within administrative and political circles.
Experts have described it as a “systemic failure” exposing loopholes in India’s bureaucratic monitoring of employees who relocate abroad or hold dual citizenship.
Senior government officials told The Economic Times that the state has now ordered a joint inquiry involving the ATS and Vigilance Department to assess both financial irregularities and potential security implications.
Preliminary reviews indicate that several layers of approval — from local verification officers to district-level accounting sections — failed to flag the anomaly for nearly a decade.
Government Tightens Oversight Mechanism
In response, the Uttar Pradesh administration has begun re-evaluating its oversight mechanisms.
Departments have been instructed to conduct annual verification of employees who are on foreign assignments, long-term visas, or suspected of holding foreign nationality.
A senior bureaucrat involved in the inquiry said,
“This case is a wake-up call for every department. The fact that a foreign national continued to draw a government salary and pension for years without detection is deeply concerning.”
The investigation is ongoing, and further disciplinary actions are expected once the final report is submitted.
