Mumbai: Mumbai Police has stumbled upon a suspected payroll racket in which salaries worth about ₹6.41 crore were allegedly paid to 10 “ghost employees” who never served in the force. The fraud uncovered during a transfer and verification of payroll records, prompting a criminal case against five departmental staff members and a wider probe into possible financial irregularities.
Forged Records, Fake Staff
Officials said the discrepancy emerged when payroll files were being reconciled and shifted. During the scrutiny, investigators found that 10 individuals with no official link to the Mumbai Police had repeatedly been shown as employees of the North Regional Division. Bank accounts were allegedly opened in their names, and monthly salaries were regularly credited into those accounts, as reported by The Federal.
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.
Preliminary findings suggest the bogus payments were made in two phases. The first stretched from December 2019 to February 2020, while the second ran from June to September 2020. Investigators believe payroll documents may have been manipulated during these periods to facilitate the unauthorized release of government funds.
Probe Widens Into Bank Trail
According to investigators, ministerial-level clerical staff allegedly prepared forged attendance registers, service records and other official papers to fabricate employees on paper.
These documents, investigators suspect, helped outsiders enter the department’s payroll system and receive regular salary payments without having any legitimate appointment in the force.
Officials said the continued release of such a large amount of public money over an extended period points to serious gaps in payroll checks and internal financial controls. The probe is now focused on whether the fraud was carried out only by the five accused employees or whether other officials and external persons were also involved.
The enquiry has also expanded to the bank accounts where the salaries were deposited. Authorities are tracing the account holders, checking how the funds were withdrawn or spent, and whether the money was moved into other accounts. Banking records, financial trails and digital evidence are all being looked into as part of the probe.
All documents connected to the payroll system, including attendance registers, appointment records, salary approvals and payment files, have been seized for forensic scrutiny. If investigators confirm that digital records were tampered with or official papers forged, additional criminal provisions may be added to the case.
Samta Nagar Police have registered a case against five departmental employees and launched a comprehensive investigation. Police said every person linked to the alleged fraud will be scrutinised using documents, bank records and other evidence collected in the investigation.