Woman clerk arrested in PWD fake appointment scam; key accused still on the run

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Ujjwala Anil Narwade (45), a junior clerk implicated in a fake appointment scam in the Public Works Department (PWD), was arrested by Vedantnagar police on Saturday.

The court has ordered her to remain in police custody until September 22, said Vedantnagar police inspector Pravina Yadav. In July, a case was registered against senior clerk Ankush Shrirang Hiwale and junior clerk Ujjwala regarding the scam. Between 2015 and 2025, using forged signatures of executive engineers, 31 individuals were illegally appointed as peons, watchmen, and sanitation workers. A senior PWD inquiry revealed these fake appointments. A six-member committee, established on May 15, 2025, reviewed all appointments from the past 10 years and found Hiwale and Narwade responsible for the scam. Since the case was filed, Ujjwala had been absconding, staying at locations in Akkalkot, Tuljapur, Solapur, and Shendra. She would return home at night to meet her family. On Friday, upon her arrival in the city, she was arrested by Inspector Pravina Yadav and Sub-Inspector Santoshkumar Joshi.