Pune: Ex-Armyman Among 3 Three Arrested For Cheating Youths With Recruitment Bait

Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 6th January 2022: Acting on a tip-off from Military Intelligence (MI) of Indian Army’s Pune-based Southern Command, Pimpri Chinchwad Police have arrested three persons including an ex-serviceman for allegedly cheating youths under the pretext of helping them get recruited in Army and Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

The arrested persons have been identified as Lance Naik Satish Kundalik Dahane (retd), a resident of Aundh Military Camp, Shriram Banaji Kadam of Dhanori and Akshay Devlal Wankhede of Telhera in Akola district. Based on the complaint from a 23-year-old youth from Amravati district, an FIR has been registered against the accused at the Sangvi police station.

According to police, Dahane retired from an infantry battalion in 2018 and now runs a grocery store at Aundh Military Station. He impersonated as a serving soldier and used to demand Rs five lakh from candidates for recruitment in various Army units and other defence establishments. He demanded Rs 50,000 at the time of filling the form, Rs two lakh after written examination and Rs 2.5 lakh after recruitment.

The complainant and his friend had given Rs 70,000 to Dahane for recruitment as a vehicle mechanic in Border Roads Organisation (BRO) through the Pune-based General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) centre.

Police said that accused Wankhede worked with the complainant, who is a mechanic, during an apprenticeship at the state transport (ST) depot in Amravati.

“In December 2021, Wankhede told me that during a written exam at Army Public School (APS) Dighi for the mechanic post, he got acquainted with Dahane who promised 100% guarantee in recruitment if a candidate paid Rs five lakh. Accordingly, we came to Pune and Dahane asked us to meet at Rakshak Chowk outside Aundh Military Station. He instructed us to bring two more youths from Bhosari Fata who had come from Nashik. When we reached the Rakshak Chowk around 3 pm on Tuesday (January 4) when MI caught us”, the complainant stated in his FIR.

They were handed over to the Sangvi police station. During the investigation, it was revealed that Wankhede also worked for Dahane and helped him in getting aspiring candidates. Police have seized various documents including educational certificates, Aadhaar cards, a list of ITI students etc. besides fake rubber stamps, envelopes, Dahane’s fake Army identity card, application forms of Artillery Centre Nashik.

The accused persons have been charged for offences under sections 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged document as genuine), 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Police sub-inspector (PSI) MD Warude is further investigating the case.

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