Shiv Sena Deputy Nilesh Sambare Arrested in Palghar Fund Scam

Police say the accused forged documents to divert over 73 lakh meant for road repairs in Jawhar, prompting a probe by the state’s top officials.

Palghar police have taken a senior Shiv Sena leader into custody on Thursday, charging him with diverting more than seventy‑three lakh of public money meant for road work.

Nilesh Bhagwan Sambare, who once headed the party’s district unit and ran the firm Jijau Construction, is accused of tampering with official paperwork to reroute funds to his own bank account. The alleged fraud dates back to the 2014‑15 financial year, when seven small‑scale infrastructure jobs – pothole filling, gutter digging and the like – were awarded through a transparent tender process.

According to a complaint lodged by Sanjay Pandurang Dongre, the executive engineer of the district’s Public Works Department, the original contractors’ names were wiped from the final invoices using a white‑out pen. The altered documents then listed Jijau Construction as the executor, paving the way for a Rs 73,13,884 transfer on March 31, 2019, to a Bank of Maharashtra account.

The whistleblower’s filing set off a chain reaction. Vikramgad MLA Harishchandra Bhoye raised the matter with the chief minister, demanding a Special Investigation Team. A preliminary probe confirmed irregularities, prompting Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh to order a formal FIR at the Jawhar police station. The district’s guardian minister also instructed swift action against those involved.

Sambare, his business partners and several former PWD officials have now been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 – including forgery, use of forged documents and acting in furtherance of a common intention. A deputy superintendent‑rank officer has been tasked with steering the investigation.

The case adds to a growing list of alleged PWD scams in Maharashtra, where inflated bills and phantom contractors have repeatedly hampered rural development. Residents of Wada, Mokhada and Jawhar have long complained about crumbling roads, and the alleged diversion of funds only deepens public mistrust.

Political analysts say the arrest could destabilise the Shiv Sena’s foothold in the district, especially ahead of the upcoming local body elections. Party insiders are watching closely to see whether Sambare will be granted bail or remain behind bars while the court examines the evidence.

The next hearing is slated for early October, when the court will decide whether the accused should be remanded in custody. Until then, the investigation will continue to sift through the altered invoices, bank statements and the testimonies of the former PWD staff.

If the prosecution can prove the forgery was systematic, the case may set a precedent for how state‑level infrastructure contracts are audited in the future.

What’s next?

The DySP leading the probe has promised to submit a detailed report within the next fortnight, and the district administration has vowed tighter monitoring of all PWD projects moving forward.