In a major action in the bogus Shalarth ID scam (teachers recruitment scam), the Cyber Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Education Officer Ravindra Shankarrao Katolkar from Wardha. Katolkar is a resident of Govind Nagar, Nalwadi, Wardha, and is currently posted in Yavatmal. Earlier, he had worked as Education Officer and Joint Secretary at the Nagpur Divisional Education Board. According to the SIT, Katolkar served as Education Officer (Secondary) from December 24, 2021 to March 2022. During this period, 39 proposals related to fake Shalarth IDs of teachers and non-teaching staff were submitted to him. Investigations revealed that Katolkar approved these proposals without proper verification or scrutiny.

 

By signing these fake proposals, regular salaries were released which caused a loss of crores of rupees to the Government, police said. After his role came to light, the SIT launched a search operation to trace him. Under the guidance of SIT chief and Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone II Nityanand Jha, a team led by Police Inspector Baliram Sutar of the Cyber Police Station went to Wardha and arrested Katolkar.

 

He was later brought to Nagpur and produced before the court, which remanded him to police custody till December 25. So far, the SIT has arrested 26 accused in this case, including the Divisional Deputy Director of Education, education officers, clerks, headmasters, school directors and assistant teachers. The alleged main mastermind, Nilesh Baburao Waghmare (50), a resident of Vasudeo Nagar, Hingna Road, has also been arrested. Police have filed a charge sheet against the arrested accused in the court.