In a significant turn of events, the suspended officiating commissioner of the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE), Shailaja Darade (52), finds herself entangled in a case involving misuse of her administrative position. The state prosecution has alleged that in 2019, Darade abused her authority to orchestrate a scam that cheated 45 job aspirants out of a staggering sum of Rs 4.85 crore.
Presenting their case before a Pune cantonment court, the state prosecution asserted that Darade, who was arrested on Monday, was a pivotal figure in the fraudulent scheme. Assistant Inspector Chetan Thorbole from the Hadapsar police appeared in court and requested a custodial remand of seven days for Darade.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Anjala Nawajire detailed the nature of the accusations, stating, “We submitted before the court that Darade’s custodial interrogation was essential as she had duped 45 aspirants of Rs 4.85 crore on the pretext of securing them jobs as teachers, RTO staffers, and talathis (village administrative officers). We also submitted that the police needed time to recover the victims’ money and investigate whether she had made any significant purchases or investments.”
It was revealed that Darade had evaded arrest since being booked by the Hadapsar police in February earlier this year. Nawajire further explained that the prosecution sought additional time to identify the third accused party and anyone who may have aided Darade by providing refuge. Even her brother has been implicated in the case.
The prosecution emphasized Darade’s central role in the fraudulent activities, potentially extending to other similar cases. Notably, authorities have obtained recordings of conversations between Darade and the victims, as well as her voice samples, to aid ongoing investigations.
