Nashik : The city police have arrested two suspects, Amol Kulkarni and Shashikant Hingonikar, in connection with the Shalarth ID scam registered at Nashik Road police station last year.
Both accused were produced before a local court on Friday, which remanded them in police custody until Oct 26.
Kulkarni was tracked down and arrested after Bombay High Court rejected his anticipatory bail application, according to the police. Hingonikar was taken into custody through a transfer warrant obtained from the court. Assistant commissioner of police (crime) Sandeep Mitke stated that the ongoing investigation is heavily focused on tracking financial transactions, uncovering the creation and use of forged documents, and identifying other individuals involved in the syndicate. Police are currently interrogating Hingonikar to determine his specific role and extent of involvement in the multi-crore racket.
A statement recorded by the school’s former principal revealed that Kulkarni, who was employed as a peon at the institution, had repeatedly attempted to coerce the principal into signing approval documents for these fraudulent appointments. Further investigation disclosed that Kulkarni was operating on behalf of the educational institution’s management to collect kickbacks from the illegally appointed staff.