Pune: A man involved in a fraudulent Army recruitment scheme was arrested in a joint operation by Pune Police and the Army. The Military Intelligence (MI) unit of the Army’s Southern Command and Pune city Police worked in coordination to nab the accused. He was apprehended near the Southern Command headquarters in Pune on Saturday. The accused has been identified as Suryawanshi Nitin Balaji from Latur district in Maharashtra.
According to police, the accused targeted prospective candidates from economically weaker backgrounds in Maharashtra and Karnataka. He promised them recruitment into the Army. It is reported that he demanded Rs three lakh per candidate. He had fraudulently amassed an estimated sum of Rs 5-10 lakh, as per the official.
How Did He Operate?
The incident came to light after a complaint was lodged by 23-year-old candidate of Nanded district. He was preparing for recruitment in the Army and police services and paid Rs 1.75 lakh to the accused. The candidate had encountered Suryawanshi at Latur railway station. Suryawanshi falsely claimed to be an active-duty Army personnel and assured of his recruitment.
Following their meeting, he met the accused near Sub Area Canteen at the Southern Command headquarters. He handed over the money in cash and through UPI transactions.
The fraud came to his notice when the accused stopped attending his calls about the recruitment status.
Acting on the complaint, MI unit shared the information with the Bundgarden police station, leading to surveillance and verification. Following the intelligence on fraudulent activities, the joint team of MI and Pune Police successfully apprehended the suspect.
An FIR has been registered under sections 318(4), 218, and 219 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway to identify more victims.
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