Special Correspondent
Pune: A man was arrested in Pune for impersonating an army official and extorting large sums of money from young job seekers by promising them recruitment into the Indian Army. The fraudster, identified as 32-year-old Mohit Ramsingh Dhami, a resident of Uttarakhand, had worked as a contract worker in the canteen of the Command Hospital in Pune, where he gained access to sensitive recruitment information.
According to a complaint filed by a 23-year-old youth from Dhule at Bund Garden Police Station, the scam began on March 31, 2024. The complainant and a friend had come to Pune to attend a staff selection examination. After the exam, they met Dhami at Pune Railway Station, who introduced himself as an army official on duty at the Command Hospital. Dhami promised to help the complainant join the army, despite the complainant’s concerns about his age. Dhami persuaded them and exchanged contact details, assuring them he could facilitate their recruitment.
On April 3, 2024, Dhami contacted the complainant, asking for documents and a payment of Rs 5,000. He later continued to ask for more money, claiming he was handling the recruitment process. Over the following days, the complainant sent a total of Rs 2,80,000, and his friend transferred Rs 2,00,000, amounting to Rs 4,80,000. However, Dhami soon began avoiding their calls.
Suspicious, the complainant and his friend visited the Command Hospital and discovered that Dhami was not employed there. Realizing they had been scammed, they approached the Army Intelligence Unit, which launched an investigation. It was revealed that Dhami had scammed another individual using the same tactic.
Dhami was eventually spotted at Pune Railway Station on Tuesday by Army Intelligence officers, who apprehended him. He was handed over to the Bund Garden Police, where Assistant Police Inspector Arjun Mohite is further investigating the case.
