Pune: Former State Exam Council Commissioner Shailaja Darade Remanded In Police Custody Till August 12 In Job Scam
Pune, 8th August 2023: Shailaja Ramchandra Darade, the former Commissioner of the State Examination Council, has been remanded to police custody until August 12 by the court, in connection with the cheating of 44 individuals under the pretext of helping them government jobs. An accomplice of the Darade siblings involved in this crime has been identified during the police investigation, and efforts are underway to locate this individual.
Shailaja Darade, along with her brother Dadasaheb Ramchandra Darade (resident of Indapur), has had a case registered against them at Hadapsar Police Station. Popat Sukhdev Suryavanshi (50 years old, resident of Khanjodwadi, Atpadi, Sangli) lodged a complaint related to this matter.
Dadasaheb Darade was apprehended by the police on April 4, while Shailaja Darade was taken into custody on Monday evening. Police produced her before a judicial magistrate court today for custody.
According to police, the accused exploited their positions to deceive candidates by offering false employment opportunities. The ongoing investigation has revealed that the accused managed to defraud 44 individuals by taking Rs 4 crore 85 lakh from them.
As of now, the defrauded funds have not been recovered from the accused. An inquiry is in progress to trace the whereabouts of the embezzled funds. Further revelations of additional criminal activities by the accused are anticipated, police said.
The possibility of more individuals being involved in the scam is not ruled out. Hence, public prosecutor Anjali Navgire argued for a seven-day police custody for the accused.
Judicial Magistrate (First Class) DJ Patil granted the remand of Darade to police custody until August 12.
As per the FIR, Shailaja Darade and her brother promised permanent employment to teachers through D.Ed. Approximately 12 individuals with B.Ed qualifications were among the victims, who were collectively defrauded of around 14 lakh rupees. Shailaja Darade was suspended in the previous month in relation to this case. Following the registration of the case, she sought anticipatory bail, which was subsequently denied by the court.
The police, with the assistance of cyber experts, have seized call recordings containing conversations between the witnesses and the accused involved in this crime. A voice sample of the accused will be obtained for analysis before two witnesses. The police informed the court of their intention to scrutinize the conversations and conduct a comprehensive investigation into the crime.
Assistant Police Inspector C. C. Thorbole, the investigating officer, conveyed that the Darade siblings employed deceitful tactics to extract money from not only teachers but also candidates aspiring for TET, RTO, and Talathi positions. This implies that the scale of this criminal operation is likely to expand.
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