Army recruitment scam busted in Ahmednagar

Image used for representative purpose only
| Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal

Another case of fake Army recruitment has been busted, this time in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra by the Army’s Military Intelligence (MI). One individual was arrested. The accused cheated several persons by claiming that he knew senior officers and would get them jobs in the Army as cooks, defence civilians etc and collected ₹8,30,000

Based on specific information received, MI in coordination with Camp Police Ahmednagar arrested Vijay Bisht from the local market and a First Information Report was registered. On interrogation he confessed that he began taking money in the name of Army recuritment sometime in 2023, an official said, adding that further details as to how many others were involved in the scam would come out in due course. 

So far atleast 10 individuals have been known to have fallen for the scam and the number is likely to go up as investigation progresses.

“This is a classic modus operandi of offering position in the Army like cooks, gardeners, drivers and fleecing money. In the last two years, atleast 25 such instances where cases have been registered,” a source in the know said. There have been many instances where individuals were targeted at recruitment rallies or at coaching institutes, the source stated.

The Army runs advertisements and campaigns highlighting that only form of joining the force is through the recruitment rallies. Earlier, physical fitness was first checked and then a written test. However, that has been reversed in the last few years to cut down on the large turn out at rallies which many times create law and order situations. Now written examination is first held and those who clear it are called for a physical fitness test.