The Pune City police on Monday arrested former commissioner of the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSEC) Shailaja Darade, who is now under suspension, in a multi- crore teacher recruitment scam.
DCP (zone 5) Vikrant Deshmukh confirmed that Shailaja was arrested on Monday. Assistant police inspector Chetan Thorbole, who is investigating the case said, “Further investigation is on. Accused Shailaja Darade would be produced before a court on Tuesday.”
Popat Suryavanshi, a 50-year-old teacher residing in Sangli’s Atpadi, registered a complaint in the case at the Hadapsar police station in February this year. Police had booked Shailaja as well as her brother Dadasaheb Darade under Sections 34 (common intention), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC.
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As per the FIR, Dadasaheb told Suryavanshi that his sister Shailaja was an officer in the education department and allegedly took Rs 27 lakh in cash from him after assuring him that two of his family members would be recruited as government teachers. When the recruitment failed to materialise, Suryavanshi demanded the money back. However, the accused did not return the money, said police.
According to the police, apart from Suryavanshi, the accused allegedly cheated 44 more people in a similar fashion — to the tune of Rs 4.85 crore — since June 2019.
Police said Dadasaheb was arrested previously, but was later granted bail by a court. On July 23 this year, deputy secretary to the state government T V Karpate issued an order suspending Shailaja for her alleged involvement in the case that involved promising jobs to candidates in the state education department in lieu of a bribe.
