Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has sought registration of an FIR in the alleged payroll scam after an internal inquiry found that Rs41.79 lakh, meant for salaries and Rakhi advance of Class-IV sanitation workers in Lakadganj Zone, was allegedly diverted to the bank accounts of outsiders through manipulated RTGS payment lists.The Finance Department found prima facie evidence of misappropriation of municipal funds and recommended criminal action against the two employees, the concerned bill clerk and all outside beneficiaries whose accounts allegedly received the diverted money. It also pointed to serious supervisory lapses by the zonal officer and assistant commissioner, stating that proper checks could have prevented the fraud.The report names Sahil Sarwan, an establishment employee, and Ujwala Bhagat, a sanitation jamadar, as the key accused. It alleges that they prepared and emailed the RTGS lists using their personal email IDs before deleting the emails to erase evidence. Investigators, however, retrieved the deleted emails from the Bank of Maharashtra branch at the NMC Civil Lines office, providing crucial documentary evidence.The probe, led by chief accounts and finance officer (CAFO) Sadashiv Shelke, found that salary bills generated through the e-Governance system were duly verified and cleared before the sanctioned amount was transferred to the zonal account through RTGS. However, the alleged fraud occurred at the final stage when the RTGS list submitted to the bank was manipulated by inserting the names of persons who were not on the municipal payroll.Scrutiny of salary bills, RTGS records and bank documents for the period from January to June 2023 found that Rs41,78,977 was illegally transferred to accounts of persons with no connection to the civic body.The complaint was filed by chief sanitation officer Dr Gajendra Mahalle with Lakadganj police following directions from the General Administration Department. The action follows a preliminary probe initiated by the Finance Department on a complaint by then Shiv Sena (UBT) city chief Nitin Tiwari, who has since joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.The probe also raised concerns that the irregularities may extend beyond the six-month period examined. It recommended a comprehensive forensic audit by an independent agency or the audit department to determine the full extent of the scam, identify all beneficiaries and facilitate further criminal action.INFOBOX | NMC PAYROLL SCAMAmount siphoned: Rs41,78,977Period under probe: January–June 2023Department: Lakadganj ZoneMoney meant for: Class-IV sanitation workers’ salaries and Rakhi advanceModus operandi: Names of outsiders allegedly inserted in RTGS payment lists, funds transferred to their bank accountsEmployees named: Sahil Sarwan (establishment employee), Ujwala Bhagat (sanitation jamadar), and the concerned bill clerkEvidence: Deleted emails retrieving RTGS lists recovered from Bank of MaharashtraAction taken: NMC has sought registration of an FIRKey concern: Probe suspects similar fraud may have occurred in other months; detailed forensic audit recommended.
