Praveen Gedam spots ₹35cr forged order, triggers Nashik ₹1,349cr scam
A huge scam has rocked the Nashik Kumbh Mela projects, with fake work orders totaling over ₹1,349 crore uncovered.
It all started when Praveen Gedam, the Nashik divisional commissioner and chairman of NTKMA, spotted a forged ₹35 crore order carrying a fake digitally forged signature purportedly belonging to Praveen Gedam back in April 2026.
Abhishek Jhare arrested, QR verification launched
Police soon arrested Abhishek Jhare for making these fake documents. After Minister Girish Mahajan flagged more irregularities, six additional forged orders surfaced, linked to things like food supply and solar power.
Two suspects have been caught so far; one is still on the run. To tackle this mess and help people check what's real, NTKMA rolled out a QR code system on genuine work orders for verifying authentic work orders.