Man Arrested For Duping Aspirants of ₹10 Lakh With Fake Army Recruitment Promise

A joint operation by the Military Intelligence (MI) unit of the Army's Southern Command and Pune City Police led to the arrest of a man accused of running a fraudulent Army recruitment scheme. The suspect, Suryawanshi Nitin Balaji from Latur district, was apprehended near the Southern Command headquarters in Pune on Saturday.

Authorities revealed that Suryawanshi targeted job seekers from economically weaker backgrounds in Maharashtra and Karnataka, promising them recruitment into the Army in exchange for ₹3 lakh per candidate. The total amount he swindled is estimated to be between ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh.

The arrest was made following a complaint from a 23-year-old Army aspirant from Nanded district, who had paid ₹1.75 lakh to the accused. The complainant, a farmer preparing for Army and police service exams, met Suryawanshi at Latur railway station. Posing as an active-duty Army officer, the accused assured him of recruitment.

Later, the victim met Suryawanshi near the Sub Area Canteen at the Southern Command headquarters, where he handed over the money in cash and through UPI transactions. When he repeatedly inquired about his recruitment status, Suryawanshi began ignoring his calls, raising suspicion.

Upon receiving intelligence about the scam, the MI unit alerted Bundgarden police, who placed the suspect under surveillance. A joint team then successfully arrested him.

An FIR has been registered under sections 318(4), 218, and 219 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigations are underway to identify more victims, as officials believe the scam operated between August 2024 and March 2025.