Chhattisgarh: For 3 years, cops ‘inflated’ salaries. Then AI spotted it

2 min readRaipurUpdated: Jul 2, 2026 06:25 AM IST

Police say this is the first time AI tools have been used to conduct such an audit. (Image generated using AI)

For three years, three cops allegedly siphoned off nearly Rs 2 crore by inflating their salaries. Then, AI caught up with them.

Three police constables from Chhattisgarh’s Bastar were arrested this week after government auditors used Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to uncover an alleged salary fraud.

Police say this is the first time AI tools have been used to conduct such an audit.

According to investigators, the key suspect, Girish Rai, was posted as an assistant in the salary section of the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Jagdalpur. The others arrested are constables Rajkumar Katlam and Hemant Mathew.

Investigators claim Rai, who was responsible for processing salary bills, allegedly edited the soft copies of salary records before they were processed, fraudulently increasing the salaries of himself and the two other constables. The trio allegedly siphoned off between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 2 crore between October 2023 and May 2026.

“The fraud went undetected because police salary expenditure fluctuates frequently due to regular transfers, postings and changes in personnel strength,” one officer said. “The accused allegedly inflated salaries by small amounts each month in their own names and those of the other two constables, allowing the fraud to remain unnoticed for years.”

It was when auditors used AI to analyse salary data for around 2,000 personnel that the anomalies were first noticed, investigators said.

Story continues below this ad

“The data related to salaries was voluminous and so auditors proactively decided to use AI tools,” Bastar SP Shalabh Kumar Sinha said.

Asked why it had gone unnoticed before, investigators said the scale of the data had made it harder to detect the anomalies.

All three have been booked for cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of government funds under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). They were produced before a court and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody.

Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.

Expertise and Experience

Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:

Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.

Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.

Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:

Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.

Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.

Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:

Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.

Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.

Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More

Tags:

Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh Police