Uniform Scam Unfolds: ₹2 Crore Paid in Commission, 45,000 Units Seized

According to the Delhi Police, a complaint lodged by Capt Shivender Singh Bakshi led to the arrest of two individuals accused of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme under the guise of a Central government initiative. Bakshi alleged that he had been misled into registering as a vendor for a fictitious organisation named the Rashtriya Gramin Saksharta Mission (RGSM), which was falsely portrayed as part of an official project.

The accused, identified as Karunakar alias Ratnakar Upadhyay (40) and Anita Upadhyay (35), had allegedly approached multiple vendors with promises of lucrative government tenders for supplying school uniforms. To lend credibility to their claims, they reportedly established a fake trust under the name RGSM and created a fraudulent website to support their operations. Anita was said to have posed as the head of the trust, while Ratnakar was believed to have developed the website.

Vendors were allegedly persuaded to supply uniforms for underprivileged children across various states, under the impression that the contracts were legitimate. The alleged scam surfaced following Bakshi’s formal complaint, prompting the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to initiate an investigation. The duo was subsequently arrested on 21 July.

Bakshi further claimed that the accused failed to make the promised payments after receiving the uniforms and instead misappropriated the goods. He stated that he had paid approximately ₹2 crore as commission for the tender allotment and now considers himself defrauded. In addition, three other vendors have filed similar complaints, which are currently under investigation.

Providing further insight, Amrutha Guguloth, Additional Commissioner of Police (EOW), noted that Anita had allegedly opened a bank account in the name of RGSM. Banking records were said to confirm the transfer of funds from the complainants to this account. It was further alleged that Ratnakar withdrew ₹3.5 crore from the trust’s account for personal use, with Anita also named as a beneficiary.

Following their arrest, the accused were remanded to police custody. Authorities seized two truckloads of school uniforms, estimated at 45,000 units and valued at ₹1.5 crore, which had allegedly been supplied by one of the complainants under the fraudulent tender arrangement.

Police sources indicated that this was not the duo’s first encounter with law enforcement. Ratnakar was reportedly involved in multiple criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, including a rape case in Delhi’s Paharganj. The Chhattisgarh Police had previously arrested the pair in connection with a similar offence.

The case underscores the need for heightened scrutiny of tender processes and vendor verification mechanisms.

Editor’s Note:

The case involving the alleged RGSM trust fraud is a strong reminder of how easily public systems can be misused, especially when private vendors are drawn into schemes that appear to be government-supported. Although the investigation is still underway, the use of fake names and websites to make the scheme look official raises serious questions about how such frauds go unnoticed.

This situation also highlights the importance of trust in partnerships between public and private organisations, particularly in areas such as education and welfare, where the impact extends beyond financial considerations and affects real lives. It is vital that authorities improve checks and make tender processes more transparent to stop such misuse.

Skoobuzz emphasises that as the case progresses, attention should remain focused on securing justice for those affected and implementing changes that prevent similar incidents in the future.