A 36-year-old Lucknow man posing as an Army havildar was arrested in Bareilly on Wednesday for allegedly cheating more than 17 youths by promising to help them clear medical examinations for Agniveer recruitment, police said.
His mobile phone and bank accounts revealed several suspicious transactions apparently linked to promises of securing jobs. Acting on information from Military Intelligence (MI), Bareilly, a joint team of Cantonment police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) arrested Tiwari. He also allegedly showed candidates fake call letters and referral forms, claiming to have contacts with Army medical staff and senior officers who could arrange medical clearance. A case has been registered at the Cantonment police station, and investigators are probing his wider network. Tiwari allegedly also promised jobs in the Territorial Army and the postal department’s Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) recruitment. His suspected associates in Punjab and Rajasthan are also being investigated. Tiwari allegedly used his familiarity with military recruitment procedures to gain candidates’ trust.
Police said Tiwari had allegedly cheated more than 17 candidates in Bareilly and Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Police said ₹ 13 lakh was allegedly transferred to a middleman for a promised postal job. Police said Tiwari’s father, Ramsukh Tiwari, was an Army havildar who retired in 2012.
He had opened an Army training academy in Jabalpur in 2015-16, which was later shut after the introduction of the Agniveer scheme. He moved to Lucknow with his family in 2019-20.
