Pune: SIS Secretary Arrested In ₹1.42 Crore Fund Misuse Case At Gokhale Institute
Pune: SIS Secretary Arrested In ₹1.42 Crore Fund Misuse Case At Gokhale Institute
Pune, April 7: The ongoing controversy at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) escalated on Saturday with the arrest of Milind Deshmukh, secretary of the Servants of India Society (SIS), on charges related to financial misconduct.
According to officials at Deccan Police Station, Deshmukh (52) was taken into custody around 4:45 pm following a complaint filed by GIPE’s officiating Deputy Registrar, Dr. Vishal Gaikwad. The complaint accuses Deshmukh of fraud, cheating, and misappropriation of funds amounting to ₹1.42 crore.
The FIR states that GIPE’s revenue primarily comes from government grants and student tuition fees, which—per UGC guidelines—must not be diverted to other accounts or institutions. However, in December 2022, Deshmukh allegedly sent a letter on SIS letterhead (stamped with GIPE’s seal), requesting ₹1.5 crore to convert SIS-owned land in Nagpur from leasehold to freehold status. This was reportedly done without the necessary permissions or formal resolution.
Following an in-principle approval by the GIPE board, ₹1.02 crore was transferred to the Nagpur District Collector’s office, while ₹40 lakh was issued to SIS—both actions allegedly breaching UGC norms.
Dr. Gaikwad revealed that the institute’s finance committee flagged the financial discrepancies during a meeting on March 29, prompting the police complaint. Meanwhile, SIS President Damodar Sahoo has not responded to media inquiries.
Deshmukh was presented in Pune’s magistrate court on Sunday. During the hearing, police cited the need to retrieve critical documents, perform a forensic audit of financial dealings between GIPE and SIS, and investigate whether the funds were used for acquiring assets. Authorities also noted that Deshmukh had previously been booked in another land-related fraud case involving the Mahadev Govind Ranade Charitable Trust in Shewalewadi, Pune.
The court has remanded Deshmukh to three days of police custody as investigations continue. Authorities intend to question SIS members across different states and further explore the alleged misuse of public funds.
