Teacher’s pending Shalarth ID approved; education commissioner orders inquiry

Pune education sub-inspector Raosaheb Mirgane, arrested for a ₹1 lakh bribe, has been remanded to custody as investigations into corruption continue.

Pune: Education sub-inspector Raosaheb Bhagwan Mirgane (57), who was arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a ₹1 lakh bribe to approve a teacher’s Shalarth ID, was produced before the Anti Corruption Bureau court on Wednesday and was remanded to police custody till November 29, an ACB official said.

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He also informed that the Shalarth ID approval for the complainant’s wife, pending since 2016, was processed and received today, allowing her pending salary process to move forward after nearly nine years without pay. “As part of the investigation, ACB can now also conduct an inquiry in the concerned education office,” he added, indicating that further scrutiny may be extended to the divisional education administration.

Mirgane, posted as a deputy education sub-inspector at the divisional deputy director of education office, Pune, was arrested on November 25 after the ACB laid a trap and caught him allegedly accepting cash inside his cabin at around 6:21pm. The arrest was executed in the presence of witnesses after verification confirmed the bribe demand.

According to the ACB, the investigation began when the complainant approached the bureau on November 17, stating that his wife, employed as an assistant teacher at a secondary school in Solapur district since 2016, had not received salary because her Shalarth ID, a mandatory requirement for payroll processing, had not been generated.

The request to approve the ID had been submitted on June 16 to the Pune divisional office. The complainant alleged that Mirgane demanded ₹1 lakh to fast-track approval of the file on the e-office system. Verification of the bribe demand was carried out on November 17 and again on November 21, during which the demand was confirmed, the ACB said.

Following his arrest, Mirgane was booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and a case was registered at Bundgarden police station. The ACB said it will also examine whether similar demands were made in other cases handled by the accused officer, as part of its ongoing investigation.

The case comes at a time when the state is already facing controversy over alleged irregularities in the Shalarth ID system. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been probing complaints of financial misconduct and manipulation linked to Shalarth approvals across districts.

Despite ongoing probes, the Pune arrest has triggered renewed criticism and concern within the education sector over systemic corruption and delays affecting teachers’ salaries.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Maharashtra education commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh confirmed that administrative action has begun. He said “A committee under joint director Shriram Panzade has been formed to investigate this case. The committee has been directed to submit a detailed report within three days. After reviewing it, we will submit it to the government.”

The commissioner added that a state-wide policy framework regarding Shalarth ID procedures will now be developed, and strict action will be taken against all those involved.