Mohammed Shami’s Sister and her mother attract MNREGA scandal: Other relatives found involved as well
Gule Ayesha, the mother-in-law of Mohammed Shami's sister, along with her current village head (Gram Pradhan) in Amroha have been alleged of a scandal related to MNREGA.
Indian veteran pacer Mohammed Shami's sister, her mother-in-law, and other relatives have found themselves attracting heat as they got accused of fraud involving the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). This was reported after a district-level investigation, which implicated several relatives of Shami being involved.
The report added Gule Ayesha, the mother-in-law of Shami's sister, and her current village head in Amroha (Uttar Pradesh), is the centre of this scandal. District Magistrate (DM) Nidhi Gupta Vats announced that a preliminary investigation confirmed the allegations of the MNREGA fraud.
"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," informed the DM.
The fraud entries were registered in the MNREGA during January 2021, and the individuals involved in the act received wages in their bank accounts till August 2024-25 without them performing any labour. The DM has even directed the recovery of all those funds and the accounts of Gram Pradhan being seized.
The investigation was launched after some recent media reports regarding the fraud. Initially, the investigation was hinting the involvement of the Village Development Officer (VDO), Assistant Programme Officer (APO), Operator, Gram Pradhan and individuals close to the Gram Pradhan of that time. As of now, further investigation is being held.
Mohammed Shami is currently featuring in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a part of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He was out of action for a long time as he had an injury, but marked a comeback to international cricket with a home series against England. He was also a major part of the Indian team which defeated New Zealand in the final of the Champions Trophy 2025 victory.