AI Cracks Rs 2 Crore Police Salary Scam That Went Unnoticed For Nearly 3 Years In Chhattisgarh

Last Updated:July 02, 2026, 07:12 IST

The alleged fraud is believed to have taken place between October 2023 and May 2026, with the trio siphoning off between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 2 crore.

A salary fraud of nearly Rs 2 crore, that went unnoticed for nearly three years was actually caught after an AI-assisted audit allegedly uncovered it, leading to the arrest of three police constables in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district

The case came to light during a government audit in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools were used to examine salary records of around 2,000 personnel. Reportedly, this was the first time AI had been used for such an audit by the police department.

Salary Records Allegedly Manipulated

The three accused have been identified as Girish Rai, Rajkumar Katlam and Hemant Mathew. Rai was posted as an assistant in the salary section at the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Jagdalpur and was responsible for preparing salary bills.

According to officials cited by media outlets, Rai allegedly manipulated digital salary records before they were processed. Police alleged that he increased the salaries of himself and the two other constables by making changes to the electronic records. The alleged fraud is believed to have taken place between October 2023 and May 2026, with the trio siphoning off between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 2 crore.

Why The Scam Went Unnoticed?

Officials said the irregularities remained unnoticed because police salary expenses often change due to transfers, fresh postings and fluctuations in staff strength. Investigators alleged that relatively small increases were made to the monthly salaries, allowing the suspected fraud to escape detection for a long period.

AI Flags Irregularities

The discrepancies were flagged only after auditors analysed a large volume of salary data using AI tools. Bastar SP Shalabh Kumar Sinha said the department decided to use AI because the salary records involved a huge amount of data, making manual scrutiny difficult.

Constables Sent To Judicial Custody

The three accused have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on charges including cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of government funds. They were produced before a court and have been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody.

About the Author

Anushka Vats

Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can ...Read More

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