Gandhinagar Civic Scam: AI Photos, Forged Certificates Used to Claim Bills for Work Never Done

AI-generated photographs and allegedly forged third-party certificates have surfaced in a suspected civic works scam in Gandhinagar, where bills were reportedly submitted for roads, sheds and other infrastructure that an investigation found had not been constructed. The alleged irregularities, involving work valued at around ₹70–80 lakh, have triggered a probe and a mass transfer of engineers in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC).

The case centres on Ward No. 11, the corporation’s largest ward, where work orders were issued for sheds, paver blocks, chain-link fencing and internal roads under a unit-rate system. Investigators are examining how completion documents were submitted and whether officials responsible for monitoring the work colluded with those seeking payment.

₹70–80 Lakh in Work Subcontracted to Former Civic Employee

According to the details emerging from the investigation, Samir Construction Agency, the primary contractor, subcontracted work worth approximately ₹70–80 lakh to a person identified as Harshvardhan, a former outsourced employee of the GMC engineering department.

The alleged scheme involved claiming payments for work that had not been carried out on the ground. Under the prescribed process, contractors submitting bills must provide photographs showing completed work, along with certification from a third-party Project Management Consultancy (PMC) appointed by the corporation.

However, an investigation ordered by the Municipal Commissioner reportedly found that the roads and sheds shown in the submitted records had not been constructed.

AI-Generated Photos and Forged PMC Certificates

The probe allegedly found that photographs submitted as proof of completed work had been generated using artificial intelligence rather than captured at actual project sites.

The irregularities reportedly extended to the third-party verification documents. When contacted, the PMC agency stated that it had not issued the certificates submitted with the bills.

Further scrutiny allegedly established that the PMC certificates had also been forged using AI technology.

The findings have raised questions about how the documents passed through the verification process and whether the prescribed checks were carried out before the bills were submitted for approval.

Engineers Transferred as Probe Widens

The alleged irregularities have also placed the spotlight on the engineers responsible for supervising and monitoring civic works in Ward No. 11.

Additional City Engineer Nandish Mandaliya, who was in charge of the engineering department, has been named in connection with the allegations. The supplied account alleges that engineers overseeing the ward were involved in the scheme.

Following the revelations, the Municipal Commissioner ordered the mass transfer of engineers as an immediate measure while the investigation proceeds.

The transfers are preliminary administrative action; further departmental proceedings or other action against those found responsible may follow after the inquiry is completed.

Questions Over Civic Work Verification

The case has raised concerns about the verification of municipal infrastructure projects, particularly the reliance on photographs and third-party certificates before approving contractors’ bills.

Investigators will need to establish who created and submitted the allegedly fabricated documents, how the certificates were presented as genuine, and whether payments were approved or released for work that was never completed.

The investigation is ongoing, and responsibility for the alleged fraud remains to be established.