Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 12: The city crime branch probing an alleged police salary scam involving nearly Rs 6.5 crore paid to 10 fictitious employees has arrested a former administrative officer of the Northern Regional Division.

Crime Branch Unit 12 arrested 61-year-old Ramkishan Ganesh Goswami after investigators traced him to his residence in Kanjurmarg East.

Police have also identified five other employees allegedly involved in the scam — Administrative Officer Nagesh Talwadekar, clerks Vijay Chavan and Ajay Rathod, and senior clerk Amol Mesharam. They have been shown as absconding accused.

The alleged Rs 6.41-crore payroll fraud came to light during the migration of employee data from the police department's old Sevarth salary portal to a new software system.

An internal inquiry found that 10 non-police personnel had repeatedly been shown as employees in official records, with monthly salaries being credited to bank accounts.

The 10 fictitious employees named in the FIR are Ramdas Bhogle, Sudhakar Kadam, Sarju Yadav, Bhagwat Bhosale, Gunaji Khavkar, Mahadev Haldankar, Rajendra Sonar, Uttam Thorat, Suryakant Patil and Pandurang Kadam.

Police said Goswami was working as Administrative Officer and Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) at the Northern Regional Division during the period when the alleged fraud took place.

The alleged fraud occurred between December 2019 and September 2020. The inquiry reportedly found that 10 fake service IDs had been created in the names of people who were not police personnel.

Salary bills were subsequently prepared and approved in the names of the fictitious employees, police said.

The excess salary amount of Rs 6.41 crore was allegedly transferred through Axis Bank into 163 bank accounts belonging to non-police personnel.

The investigation was initially registered at Samta Nagar police station under Sections 409, 420, 406, 467, 465, 471, 201, 120(B) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

On the directions of the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mumbai, the probe was subsequently transferred to the Crime Branch.

During the investigation, police obtained documents from the Northern Regional Division, including records relating to the accused's posting and responsibilities, service-ID creation forms, salary bills, cash-book entries and correspondence with banks concerning salary payments.

Investigators also examined and imaged the computer system of the Pay Branch as part of the probe.