A payroll fraud worth ₹6.41 crore has come to light within the Mumbai Police, with investigators alleging that salaries were paid to 10 fictitious employees who never served in the force. The suspected fraud, which took place between 2019 and 2020, surfaced during the migration of employee records from the Sevarth salary portal to a new payroll software system.
According to a complaint filed by a police officer from the department's North Regional Division, the non-existent employees were repeatedly shown on payroll records and received monthly salary payments into bank accounts linked to their names.
The discovery has led to criminal proceedings against five former and serving officials, while two employees have been suspended pending investigation.
Payroll migration exposed the irregularities
The alleged fraud was detected during the transfer of employee records from the legacy Sevarth salary platform to a new payroll system.
According to the complaint, unauthorised salary transactions occurred during two periods:
- December 2019 to February 2020
- June 2020 to September 2020
Investigators allege the payroll records included individuals who had never worked for the police department but continued to receive salaries as regular employees.
The First Information Report (FIR) names the alleged ghost employees as:
- Ramdas Bhogle
- Sudhakar Kadam
- Sarju Yadav
- Bhagwat Bhosale
- Gunaji Khavkar
- Mahadev Haldankar
- Rajendra Sonar
- Uttam Thorat
- Suryakant Patil
- Pandurang Kadam
Police are now working to establish the identities of these individuals and determine who controlled the bank accounts through which the salary payments were processed.
Officials accused of creating fake employee records
According to the police complaint, ministerial-level clerical staff allegedly fabricated attendance registers and employee records before adding outsiders to the department's payroll.
The FIR names five officials who held office during the relevant period:
- Former Administrative Officer Ramkishan Goswami
- Former Administrative Officer Nagesh Talvadekar
- Former Administrative Officer Vijaya Chavan
- Head Clerk Ajay Rathod
- Senior Clerk Amol Meshram
The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, covering:
- Cheating
- Forgery
- Criminal breach of trust
- Criminal conspiracy
The allegations remain under investigation.
Two employees suspended
The Mumbai Police Department has suspended Vijaya Chavan and Amol Meshram following allegations that they created fake Service IDs and Defined Contribution Pension Scheme (DCPS) IDs to facilitate unauthorised salary payments.
According to the department, the two officials are accused of adding the fictitious employees to the payroll and approving their monthly salaries.
During the suspension period, they have been barred from taking up private employment or business activities, must submit regular declarations to claim subsistence allowance, and cannot leave the Brihanmumbai jurisdiction without prior permission.
Investigation widens beyond Mumbai
Investigators are examining how the payroll records were manipulated and whether additional individuals were involved in authorising or processing the payments.
The police are also tracing the bank accounts through which the salaries were disbursed to identify who ultimately benefited from the alleged fraud.
According to the information available, similar payroll irregularities involving smaller amounts have previously been reported in Dhule and Latur districts.
The latest case has prompted senior officials to review payroll controls and employee verification processes across Maharashtra, amid concerns over vulnerabilities in government salary systems.
Payroll oversight under fresh scrutiny
The alleged fraud remained undetected for several years before being uncovered through a routine data migration exercise, highlighting how payroll system reviews can expose long-running irregularities.
As the investigation progresses, authorities are expected to examine whether existing verification mechanisms, employee identification processes and payroll approvals require stronger safeguards to prevent similar cases across public sector departments.