This extraordinary case from Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district is a stunning reflection of both individual deceit and systemic collapse in administrative oversight. A police constable managed to stay on the government payroll for 12 years without attending training, reporting for duty, or being assigned a single task, all while collecting over ₹28 lakh in salary.
How it happened:
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Recruited in 2011, the constable was supposed to undergo basic police training at Sagar Police Training Centre.
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Instead of reporting there, he returned home to Vidisha and mailed his service documents back to the Bhopal Police Lines via speed post.
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No verification was done. His documents were accepted and he was never marked absent.
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For over a decade, no supervisor, HR official, or payroll department flagged the fact that the constable had no training, no assignments, no transfers, and no record of field activity.
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The truth surfaced only in 2023, during a pay grade evaluation for the 2011 batch, when officials couldn't identify the constable in question.
His defense:
When finally summoned, the constable claimed he was suffering from mental health issues and cited this as the reason for his long absence. He submitted medical documents to support his claim and blamed poor communication and confusion over police rules for not resuming duty.
Current status:
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He has returned ₹1.5 lakh and has agreed to repay the rest through salary deductions.
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He is now posted at Bhopal Police Lines under watch, while the inquiry continues.
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ACP Ankita Khaterkar, who is leading the probe, confirmed that action would also be taken against supervisory and administrative officials who allowed this lapse.
Broader implications:
This isn’t just about one constable’s misconduct — it's a damning indictment of systemic apathy:
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No checks or follow-ups on whether new recruits complete training.
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Payroll systems lacked even basic validation of service.
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No HR audit or background check in over a decade.
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This also raises concerns about internal vigilance and accountability in the police force, a body expected to uphold law and discipline.
The case underscores a disturbing possibility: if one person could slip through the cracks for 12 years, how many others might be drawing salaries without work or oversight? It puts the spotlight on the urgent need for digitized records, audit trails, and real-time service tracking in Indian government departments.
In short, it’s a rare story where bureaucratic blind spots, human negligence, and personal exploitation converged for over a decade — and the system didn't even blink until it was time for a promotion.
