Mumbai Police officials identify a payroll fraud involving about Rs 6.41–6.5 crore linked to alleged “ghost employees.” The issue comes to light during migration of employee data, when records are compared and discrepancies are found. According to reports, ten individuals appear in payroll between 2019 and 2020 but do not exist in practice, existing only in official documentation. Monthly salaries for the alleged fictitious employees are shown as credited to bank accounts, indicating that payments were routed through banking channels over roughly two years.
The ongoing inquiry attributes the suspected fraud to internal staff members involved in handling payroll records and related processes. Times of India reports that five clerical employees face charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy. It also states that two staffers are suspended for allegedly creating fake identities to enable the salary payments. NDTV describes the fraud in general terms as a major financial irregularity in police payroll records uncovered during data migration.
Investigations continue to determine the full role of those implicated and how the payments were processed for the non-existent employees.
