Pune: Man Posing as Indian Air Force Officer Arrested in Kharadi After Military Intelligence Tip-Off
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Kharadi, 18th May 2025: In a joint operation, Southern Command Military Intelligence, Pune, and Kharadi Police Station nabbed a 25-year-old man for impersonating an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer.
The accused, Gaurav Kumar, a native of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, was detained near Varadh Vinayak Apartment, Lane No. 2, Thite Vasti, Kharadi, around 8:40 PM on Sunday.
Acting on a specific intelligence input provided by Military Intelligence to the Kharadi Police, officials verified the details and kept the suspect under surveillance before executing the arrest.
During the arrest, authorities recovered several items associated with the Indian Air Force from Kumar’s possession:
- Two Air Force T-shirts
- One pair of Air Force combat pants
- One pair of Air Force combat shoes
- Two Air Force badges
- One tracksuit upper
An FIR has been filed at Kharadi Police Station based on a complaint by Head Constable Ramdas Palve. Gaurav Kumar, who works as a receptionist at Stay Bird Hotel in Kharadi and holds a 12th-grade qualification, had been living in the Thite Vasti area of Pune.
According to investigators, Kumar wore IAF uniforms and presented himself as an Air Force officer primarily to impress women and build relationships under false pretenses. “He was active on Instagram and has cheated many girls,” an officer involved in the investigation said.
Kumar has been booked under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) — Wearing garb or carrying token used by soldier, sailor or airman, a law designed to prevent impersonation of armed forces personnel.
Police are now probing the extent of Kumar’s deception and whether others were involved in assisting him.
