No Central Database For Co-op Fraud FIRs In Maha: RTI Reply Maharashtra’s cooperation department does not maintain a centralized database or tracking system for First Information Reports (FIRs) related to fraud, embezzlement, and financial irregularities involving cooperative banks, credit societies, and other cooperative institutions, according to a response to a Right to Information (RTI) query. The disclosure came in response to an application filed by Sanjay Thool, president of the Association of Social and RTI Activists, who sought details of FIRs registered against cooperative institutions across the state over the past two decades, along with the names of the affected institutions and outcomes of related court cases. In the RTI reply, public information officer Sanjay Arakh stated that criminal complaints in such cases are registered at the local level by district deputy registrars, assistant registrars, or special auditors. Once an FIR is lodged, the investigation, filing of chargesheets, and trial proceedings fall under the jurisdiction of the police and judiciary. As a result, the cooperation commissioner and registrar’s office does not maintain any consolidated or centralized records of FIRs, investigations, or court judgments related to financial misconduct in cooperative institutions. Following the disclosure, Thool wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging the government to implement systemic reforms to enhance transparency and protect public deposits in the cooperative sector. He proposed the creation of a state-level digital portal under the cooperation commissioner’s office to serve as a central repository for all FIRs and criminal cases involving cooperative institutions.#devendra_fadnavis #association_of_social_and_rti_activists #sanjay_thool #maharashtra_cooperation_department #cooperative_banks
