Authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha district have initiated the process of recovering funds fraudulently withdrawn under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by cricketer Mohammed Shami’s sister, Shabina and her husband, Gajnabi.
An official probe has uncovered that they, along with several family members, were falsely registered as labourers and illegally received government wages over the past four years.
The scam came to light when authorities discovered discrepancies in the MGNREGA worker list of Paloula village, located in Joya block. Following an order from District Magistrate Nidhi Gupta Vats, an investigation confirmed that the
family of Gul Ayesha, the village head (pradhan) and Shabina’s mother-in-law, had misused the scheme to siphon off government funds.
Deputy Commissioner of MGNREGA, Amrendra Pratap Singh, stated, “A detailed report on the fraud has been prepared and will be sent to the District Magistrate. The process of recovering the misappropriated funds has already begun, and legal action will follow.”
The investigation found that Shabina, Gajnabi, and six other family members were falsely registered as MGNREGA workers and had been withdrawing wages despite not performing any manual labour. The fraudulent payments, credited over a span of four years, amounted to nearly Rs 10 lakh.
Authorities identified several instances of fraudulent claims by members of the pradhan’s family. Shabina illegally claimed Rs 71,013, while Gajnabi received Rs 66,561. Shekhu, the pradhan’s brother-in-law, took Rs 55,312, and another brother-in-law, Nasruddin, claimed Rs 71,704. Amir Suhail fraudulently obtained Rs 63,851, while Neha, the pradhan’s sister-in-law, received Rs 55,867.
Sariya was found to have taken Rs 54,645, and Saba Rani claimed Rs 17,020. Shockingly, the probe also uncovered that at least 12 more individuals, including some residing abroad, were part of the fraudulent scheme.
The matter has drawn attention at both the central and state levels, prompting higher authorities to seek a detailed report from the district administration. On Sunday, officials at the Joya block office reviewed employment records and cross-verified data to confirm the fraud. A team also visited Paloula village to record statements from locals.
“Not only will we recover the fraudulently obtained wages, but strict legal action, including criminal proceedings, will also be taken against those involved,” an official from the investigation team said. Officials disclosed that the MGNREGA job cards for the accused family members were issued in January 2021, during a period when panchayats were under administrative control. Over the next three years, wages were credited to their accounts without any actual labour.
While some of the fraudulent job cards were cancelled earlier this year, those belonging to the pradhan’s daughters-in-law remained active until recently. After the scandal broke, their cards have also been revoked. The district administration has vowed to take stringent measures to prevent such fraudulent activities in the future. Officials emphasised that this case serves as a warning, ensuring that government schemes designed for the welfare of the underprivileged are not misused by those in positions of power.
