Police in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, have arrested a fraudster outside the Military Hospital who was cheating Agniveer recruitment candidates by promising guaranteed clearance in their medical re-examinations. The accused impersonated a retired Army Havildar to gain the trust of vulnerable applicants who had been declared medically unfit. Identified as Rajesh Tiwari, a resident of Sairpur in Lucknow, the suspect was caught red-handed in a joint operation executed by the Cantt Police Station team and the Special Operations Group (SOG), following precise intelligence inputs provided by Military Intelligence Bareilly.
Joint Operation by Cantt Police and SOG Following Military Intelligence Inputs
The re-medical examinations for Agniveer candidates who failed their initial physical and medical assessments were underway at the Military Hospital in Bareilly. During this period, the Military Intelligence unit gathered actionable intelligence indicating that a scammer was operating right outside the hospital complex, targeting desperate candidates with false promises of clearing their medical tests in exchange for large sums of money.
Upon verification of the information, law enforcement officers from the Cantt Police Station along with SOG personnel set up a targeted cordon outside the Military Hospital and apprehended Rajesh Tiwari. A search of the suspect yielded a detailed candidate register, a counterfeit rubber stamp, a mobile phone, and a photocopy of an Army Canteen Card, which he routinely displayed to convince victims of his military credentials.
Modus Operandi of the Impersonator and Deceptive Promises
Rajesh Tiwari operated a calculated scheme aimed at candidates undergoing re-medical testing. He approached candidates declared unfit and claimed to possess high-level connections with senior military officers who could alter fitness results. To solidify his credibility, he produced forged call-up letter photocopies associated with the 108 Mahar Regiment.
Furthermore, investigating officers recovered a fake rubber stamp bearing the name of the 155 Infantry Battalion Jabalpur from his possession. Tiwari maintained a dedicated register containing candidate names, roll numbers, and specific grounds for their initial medical disqualifications. He organized these records under distinct fit and unfit categories and showed photographs of the register to prospective targets to demonstrate past success in reversing medical rejections.
Seizure of Counterfeit Documents and the ₹40,000 Fraud Instance
Digital and physical evidence seized by the police confirmed active financial exploitation. On 21 August, Rajesh Tiwari assured an Agniveer candidate named Ankit Singh Chauhan of medical clearance and extracted ₹40,000 from him via a digital UPI payment. This financial transaction was meticulously logged inside the suspect's recovered register.
A forensic review of Tiwari's confiscated mobile phone uncovered extensive WhatsApp message exchanges with a co-conspirator named Gajendra Singh. The chat history contained candidate medical referral forms, roll numbers, and discussions regarding money transfers. Tiwari systematically collected candidate details, forwarded them to Gajendra Singh over WhatsApp, retained his designated commission from the extortion money, and transferred the remaining balance into bank accounts specified by Gajendra.
Accomplice Gajendra Singh and the Multi-State Network
SP City Manush Pareek provided comprehensive details of the arrest, revealing that Rajesh Tiwari had been operating a job coaching academy in Jabalpur since 2016, where he provided training for army recruitment exams. In 2019-20, Tiwari relocated to Lucknow while maintaining his recruitment-related operations. Following the launch of the Agniveer recruitment scheme by the central government, he pivoted his operations toward exploiting candidates struggling with medical disqualifications.
Law enforcement authorities confirmed that the fraudulent network extends well beyond Uttar Pradesh. Interrogation of the suspect revealed that his primary associate Gajendra Singh managed financial allocations, while additional syndicate members operate across Punjab and Rajasthan. Special police teams have been deployed to track down and arrest these fleeing accomplices.
Uncovering Fraud Across Three Recruitment Sectors
Police investigations have established that Rajesh Tiwari's fraudulent activities were not restricted to Agniveer applicants. The suspect was actively running three distinct recruitment scams: promising false job placements in the Post Office department, offering fraudulent recruitment entries into the Territorial Army, and collecting money for Agniveer medical clearances.
Authorities have initiated a thorough audit of Tiwari's bank accounts, which display numerous suspicious financial transactions. Police are compiling details of all candidates targeted by this syndicate to determine the total illicit revenue generated. Officials have urged job seekers to rely solely on official military recruitment channels and report any unauthorized intermediaries to the police.
