E-Paper
Pune man held for duping people with fake Army recruitment scam
Suryawanshi lured candidates from poor backgrounds in Maharashtra and Karnataka with false Army job promises, charging ₹3 lakh each, amassing ₹5-10 lakh.
In a joint operation, Pune Police and the Military Intelligence (MI) unit of the Army's Southern Command arrested a man on Saturday for running a fraudulent Army recruitment scheme, duping several people, news agency ANI reported.
A senior police official told ANI that the suspect, identified as Suryawanshi Nitin Balaji from Latur district in Maharashtra, was apprehended near the Southern Command headquarters in Pune.
According to police, Suryawanshi targeted candidates from economically weaker sections in Maharashtra and Karnataka, falsely promising Army recruitment.
He allegedly charged ₹3 lakh per candidate, fraudulently collecting an estimated ₹5-10 lakh.
An FIR has been registered under sections 318(4), 218, and 219 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigations are ongoing to identify other potential victims. The fraudulent activities reportedly took place between August 2024 and March 2025.
Also Read | Ludhiana: 3 agents dupe 2 Hoshiarpur men of ₹75k on pretext of Kuwait visas
How was he arrested?
The arrest came after a 23-year-old candidate from Nanded district filed a complaint, stating that he had paid ₹1.75 lakh to the accused. According to the ANI report, the complainant, a farmer preparing for Army and police recruitment, met Suryawanshi at Latur railway station, where the accused falsely claimed to be an active Army personnel and promised him recruitment.
Later, the complainant met Suryawanshi near the Sub Area Canteen at the Southern Command headquarters, where he handed over the money in cash and via UPI transactions. However, when he repeatedly asked about his recruitment status, the accused started ignoring his calls.
Also Read | Man swindled 500+victims on dating app
Upon receiving intelligence about the scam, the MI unit alerted the Bundgarden police station, leading to surveillance and verification. As a result, a joint team of MI and Pune Police arrested the suspect.
Fake Army captain dupes over 20 women in Lucknow
In January, a 40-year-old man was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow for posing as an Army officer on Instagram to exploit women financially and sexually, The Times of India reported.
Identified as Haider Ali Beg from Odisha, he pretended to be a captain in the Army Medical Corps under the fake name ‘Hartik.’ Using army uniforms, badges, and forged documents, he manipulated women into relationships, stealing cash and jewellery.
The fraud came to light after a woman, going through a divorce, filed a complaint. She met ‘Hartik’ on Instagram, and their relationship led to discussions about marriage. He concealed his religious identity, visited her home, and convinced her to give him jewellery worth ₹4.5 lakh, which he later sold.
Further investigations revealed Beg had lured multiple women, exploiting them physically and financially, while also duping people with fake job promises. Police suspect he scammed over 20 women. Originally a security guard, he got an army uniform stitched in Odisha to carry out the fraud.
