Man arrested for duping people with fake Army recruitment scam

Military Intelligence and Pune Police arrest suspect in fraudulent Army recruitment scheme targeting economically weaker candidates in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The Military Intelligence (MI) unit of the Army’s Southern Command, in coordination with Pune city police, had arrested an individual who was implicated in a fraudulent Army recruitment scheme, officials said.

The suspect, identified as Suryawanshi Nitin Balaji from Latur district, was apprehended in the vicinity of the Southern Command headquarters in Pune on Saturday (March 1, 2025), said a senior official of Pune Police.

According to police authorities, Suryawanshi targeted prospective candidates from economically weaker backgrounds in Maharashtra and Karnataka, promising them recruitment into the Army.

It is alleged that he demanded ₹3 lakh per candidate, fraudulently amassing an estimated sum of ₹5-10 lakh. The arrest followed a complaint lodged by a 23-year-old candidate, resident of Nanded district, who had paid ₹1.75 lakh to the accused.

The complainant, a farmer preparing for recruitment in the Army and police services, encountered Suryawanshi at Latur railway station. The accused falsely claimed to be an active-duty Army personnel and assured the complainant of recruitment.

Subsequently, the complainant met Suryawanshi near the Sub Area Canteen at the Southern Command headquarters, where he handed over the money in cash and through UPI transactions. However, when the complainant persisted in inquiring about his recruitment status, the accused began ignoring his calls.

Upon receiving intelligence regarding the fraudulent activities, the MI unit shared the information with the Bundgarden police station, leading to surveillance and verification. Consequently, the joint team of MI and Pune Police successfully apprehended the suspect.