A startling audit report has revealed that over 14,000 men fraudulently received benefits under Maharashtra’s Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, highlighting a significant case of fraud in the Ladki Bahin scheme. The Women and Child Development Department’s investigation revealed how these individuals exploited the online registration system, resulting in the wrongful disbursement of ₹21.44 crore in public funds over ten months.
The welfare program, launched in July 2024 by the Mahayuti coalition government, was specifically designed to provide monthly financial assistance of ₹1,500 to eligible women aged between 21 and 65 years. The scheme targets families with annual incomes below ₹2.5 lakh, aiming to support women’s health, nutrition, and general well-being across Maharashtra.
According to the department’s comprehensive review, exactly 14,298 men successfully enrolled themselves as female beneficiaries through various deceptive means. This widespread Ladki Bahin scheme fraud represents a serious breach of the program’s integrity. It highlights significant loopholes in the verification process that allowed such extensive manipulation to occur undetected for months.
The fraudulent beneficiaries managed to receive payments consistently for nearly ten months before the irregularities were discovered during a routine audit. Each fraudulent case involved monthly payments of ₹1,500, which, when multiplied across thousands of cases and extended over the payment period, resulted in the substantial financial loss of ₹21.44 crore from the state treasury.
The Ladki Bahin scheme fraud extends beyond the 14,000 male beneficiaries, as the audit revealed approximately 26.34 lakh ineligible beneficiaries across various categories. This massive number of ineligible cases has resulted in an estimated total loss of ₹1,640 crore to the state exchequer, raising serious questions about the scheme’s implementation and monitoring mechanisms.
Despite supporting 2.41 crore legitimate beneficiaries, the discovery of such extensive fraud has prompted immediate corrective measures. The state government has halted benefits to all flagged ineligible beneficiaries starting from June 2025, pending detailed verification by respective district collectors.
Maharashtra’s administration has initiated comprehensive measures to address the Ladki Bahin scheme fraud and prevent future occurrences. The Women and Child Development Department has established a robust verification system that includes cross-checking beneficiary details against multiple databases to ensure authenticity and eligibility.
District collectors have been tasked with conducting thorough investigations into each flagged case. Those beneficiaries who can prove their eligibility through proper documentation will have their benefits restored, while fraudulent cases will face appropriate legal action. The government has also announced plans to strengthen the digital infrastructure to prevent similar manipulation of online registration systems.
The Ladki Bahin scheme fraud primarily occurred through the exploitation of weaknesses in the online registration portal. Fraudsters manipulated gender information during the application process, bypassing basic verification checks that should have identified male applicants. This technical vulnerability allowed thousands of ineligible men to register successfully and receive benefits intended exclusively for women.
The incident has prompted a comprehensive review of all digital welfare platforms operated by the Maharashtra government. Technology experts are working to implement advanced verification systems, including biometric authentication and real-time database cross-referencing, to prevent similar fraud in future welfare schemes.
The ₹21.44 crore loss due to the Ladki Bahin scheme fraud represents a significant drain on Maharashtra’s welfare budget. Combined with the broader ₹1,640 crore loss from all ineligible beneficiaries, the financial impact has forced the state to reassess its allocation for social welfare programs.
The Maharashtra Budget 2025 allocated ₹36,000 crore for the scheme, reduced from the previous year’s ₹46,000 crore allocation. This reduction, partly attributed to the need for better fund management following the fraud discovery, has sparked political debates about the government’s commitment to women’s welfare programs.
Ladki Bahin Scheme: Exposed Fraud?
While addressing the Ladki Bahin scheme fraud, authorities are working to ensure that genuine beneficiaries continue receiving their entitled support without unnecessary delays. The verification process has been designed to minimise disruption for legitimate recipients while thoroughly investigating suspicious cases.
The government has established helplines and dedicated counters at district offices to assist genuine beneficiaries facing difficulties during the verification process. Special priority is being given to clearing cases of elderly women and those from extremely vulnerable backgrounds to prevent hardship during the investigation period.
The exposure of the Ladki Bahin scheme fraud has catalysed broader reforms in Maharashtra’s welfare delivery system. The state government is implementing a unified beneficiary database that will prevent duplicate registrations across different schemes and enable real-time verification of applicant credentials.
Advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence tools are being deployed to identify suspicious patterns in applications and payments. These technological upgrades, combined with strengthened ground-level verification processes, aim to create a more robust and fraud-resistant welfare ecosystem.
The revelation of the Ladki Bahin scheme fraud involving 14,000 men serves as a critical reminder of the vulnerabilities in digital welfare systems. While the Maharashtra government’s swift response and corrective measures demonstrate commitment to program integrity, the incident underscores the need for continuous monitoring and technological upgrades in social welfare delivery. The lessons learned from this fraud case will likely influence the design and implementation of future welfare schemes across India, ensuring better protection of public resources while maintaining support for genuinely needy beneficiaries.
