As revealed in a series of reports in this paper, Charudutt Shinde is already facing allegations from within the education department that he sought a cut to allot contracts to favoured entities
Charudutt Shinde was the subject of a police complaint for fraud even before he was appointed the officer on special duty (OSD) to state education minister Vinod Tawde. And even though a BJP lawmaker had raised a red flag against him before Tawde as well as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shinde's appointment as OSD was confirmed, DNA has learnt.
As revealed in a series of reports in this paper, Shinde is already facing allegations from within the education department that he sought a cut to allot contracts to favoured entities.
But before the cash-for-work taint, Shinde was accused of handing out bogus medical certificates passing off physically fit people as disabled, so they could exploit government benefits, Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Anil Gote has claimed.
A police complaint was lodged against Shinde after the racket was exposed in 2015, when he was district surgeon at Bhausaheb Hire Government Medical College in Dhule, Gote said. "I had written to both Minister Tawde and Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis about this issue. But they chose to ignore my letter," Gote said.
Documents accessed by DNA confirm the complaint was lodged in Dhule.
"Shinde was part of a ring that declared fit workers as partially disabled or colourblind, which then allowed them to escape heavy-duty work and apply for various allowances," Gote said. Some 8,000 such fake certificates were issued for cash between 2011-2015 in Dhule, he said.
The scam came to light during a routine health check-up when those certified as disabled or partially blind by Dr Shinde and his team were found to be free of these impairments. There exists a confidential report on this matter, Gote claimed.
Nawab Malik, Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson, said it was a serious issue if Tawde disregarded such a damning complaint, that too from his own party's legislator.
"It really says a lot. Dr Shinde is a habitual offender and Tawde still went ahead and made him the OSD," said Malik.
Both Tawde and Shinde were unavailable for comment.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Vinod Tawde")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}