Jaipur, March 27 -- Rajasthan special operation group (SOG) is investigating the involvement of government officials in irregularities of Rs.440 crore in the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme in the state, as the members of the racket had full access to official log-in IDs and passwords, officials said. ADG of the SOG, Vishal Bansal, said, "The scammers used to target applications which were either rejected or on hold. They used to log into the official portals directly by using the IDs and passwords of various officers and change the status of those applications by putting some wrong entries and data. We are now trying to locate these officials who shared their IDs and passwords with them." He added that the scammers, later, used to take one-third of the amount that a beneficiary receives as scheme instalment. "We have so far identified over 6 lakh suspicious beneficiaries who have either multiple registrations through one phone number or fake data entries. Since 2021, at least seven FIRs have been registered across various districts in the state in connection to this scam. Now, SOG has decided to club all FIRs and launch a probe while the PM Kisan Nidhi nodal officer has also stopped payments in those 6 lakh accounts which will now be further verified." According to officials, the first FIR was lodged in Jalore in 2021 by the local district administration after they found 34,000 fake beneficiaries accounts. "However, the local police closed the case after failing to find sufficient evidence against the accused. Another case was filed in Jhalawar in 2024. Upon investigating, Jhalawar police exposed a racket and arrested over 30 people," he said. On November 2025, police arrested these people including the mastermind Ramavatar Saini. "Prima facie, Saini had detailed knowledge of various government welfare and pension portals, including the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and some other schemes. He and his associates exploited these systems by collecting bank details and identity documents from individuals, promising them benefits. He manipulated data on official portals to show ineligible people as verified beneficiaries, enabling large transfers from the government treasury. The gang then reportedly kept 50-75% commission, diverting large sums meant for welfare schemes," read a statement by Jhalawar police....