Mohammed Shami’s sister and her mother-in-law found in a hot soup involving the MNREGA scandal

The cricketer’s sister and her mother-in-law are found to be entangled in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scandal.

India’s fast bowler Mohammed Shami’s sister, her mother-in-law, and a few other relatives found themselves in a hot soup after being accused of fraud involving MNREGA. As per reports by news agency PTI, the names of the Indian bowler’s relatives are involved in the scandal surrounding the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

An alleged fraud by Mohammed Shami’s relatives.

A district-level investigation has been launched for an alleged fraud involving MNREGA, implicating several individuals, including Shami’s relatives. The report added that the Mother-in-law of Shami’s sister, Gule Ayesha and current village head in Amroha (Uttar Pradesh), is at the centre of this scandal. Nidhi Gupta, District Magistrate (DM), announced late Wednesday evening that a preliminary investigation confirmed the allegations of fraudulent MNREGA wage disbursement. Orders have also been issued to suspend implicated workers listed as workers with MNREGA, register a formal police report and initiate departmental action under the Panchayati Raj Act.

Among the implicated include Mohammed Shami’s relatives.

The DM said, “The investigation by local officials revealed that 18 individuals received MNREGA wages without performing any work. Among those implicated include Mohammed Shami’s sister, Shabina, Shabina’s husband, Ghaznavi, Shabina’s three brothers-in-law, Aamir Suhail, Nasruddin and Shekhu, along with sons and daughters of village head Gule Ayesha.”

The fraudulent entries were registered in the MNREGA job cards in January 2021, and the individuals received wages in their bank accounts until August 2024 without performing any labour, said the officer.