Pune: Servants Of India Secretary Arrested For Alleged Misappropriation Of Rs 1.42 Crore At Gokhale Institute; Investigation Underway

Pune, 7th April 2025: Milind Deshmukh, Secretary of the Servants of India Society, has been arrested following allegations of misappropriating ₹1.42 crore from the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics through unauthorized fund diversion. Senior Police Inspector Girisha Nimbalkar of Deccan Police Station informed that the Deccan Police have taken him into custody, and a local court has remanded him to three days in police custod.

The case was filed based on a complaint by Dr. Vishal Bhimrao Gaikwad (39), a resident of Ramnagar, Warje. Dr. Gaikwad has been associated with the Gokhale Institute since 2022, initially as a Research Coordinator and currently serves as the officiating Deputy Registrar.

The Gokhale Institute functions under the Servants of India Society and operates through government grants, student fees, and funds from the University Grants Commission (UGC). According to UGC guidelines, funds allocated for educational purposes cannot be diverted to other accounts without proper authorization.

However, Milind Deshmukh allegedly sent a letter on 13th December 2022, to the institute requesting ₹1.5 crore to convert a land parcel owned by the Servants of India Society in Nagpur into freehold. Dr. Gaikwad stated in his complaint that this request was made without any formal resolution or the approval of other institute members.

The letter carried the official stamp of the Gokhale Institute. Following this, the institute’s regulatory board gave in-principle approval, and on 24th February 2023, ₹1.42 crore was sanctioned. Out of this, ₹1.02 crore was transferred to the Nagpur District Collector’s account, while ₹40 lakh was paid to the society’s account via cheque.

The funds were allegedly used for obtaining old documents, stamp duty, consultancy fees, and administrative expenses. However, the nature and justification of these expenses have raised serious suspicion. Dr. Gaikwad accused Deshmukh and his associates of defrauding the institute and misusing the funds for personal gain.

Following the complaint, a formal case was registered and an investigation is ongoing under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector Nimbalkar.