Ahmedabad PT Instructor Arrested for Allegedly Cheating Students With Air Force, Navy Job Promises

Ellisbridge police in Ahmedabad have arrested a 41-year-old physical training instructor contracted at Gujarat College for allegedly running a cheating racket in which students were promised jobs in the Indian Air Force, the Navy and even selection into state-level cricket teams.

The accused was picked up from Anjar in Kutch on Friday after a police surveillance team traced his movements. Investigators are now trying to establish whether more students were drawn into the same alleged scam.

The case surfaced after a 20-year-old BCom student filed a complaint with the police. According to the complaint, the student had met the instructor during volleyball practice in April, when the two came into contact on campus.

Police said the instructor first allegedly offered to secure an Air Force job for Rs 15,000. When the student showed no interest in that offer, the accused allegedly shifted to a different pitch and promised to arrange the student’s selection in a state-level cricket tournament in Puducherry.

Investigators said the instructor allegedly demanded Rs 45,500 from the student and another Rs 53,500 from a friend who was also interested in cricket. The complainant is said to have transferred a total of Rs 99,000 to the accused on April 17 and 18.

As per the complaint, the accused allegedly assured the students that an official selection letter would be issued by the Puducherry Cricket Association. He also allegedly claimed that travel, accommodation, food and medical insurance expenses would be taken care of.

When no official email or selection letter arrived, the students reportedly began trying to contact him. The police said the instructor then became difficult to reach, prompting an investigation that eventually led to his arrest.

Investigators have also alleged that the instructor changed around 10 mobile numbers and used seven different mobile phones after the students started pursuing him about the promised opportunities.

Police believe the number of victims may be higher. At present, they suspect that around 20 students could have been targeted. Two more students were reportedly charged Rs 15,000 each, taking the amount mentioned in the complaint to roughly Rs 1.3 lakh, though officers said the wider probe is still under way to determine the full extent of the alleged fraud.

The allegations have also drawn attention to the vulnerability of young people seeking jobs or sporting opportunities through unofficial intermediaries. Recruitment to the Armed Forces is carried out through officially notified procedures, and candidates are generally advised to verify such claims through authorised channels rather than paying individuals who say they can influence selection.

In a separate but similar case in Rajkot, Gandhigram-2 police have registered a complaint against a man accused of cheating his childhood friend and four others of around Rs 16 lakh by promising them jobs in the Indian Air Force.

According to the Rajkot FIR, a 40-year-old resident of Kalawad Road received a call from his childhood friend on June 8. The two had reportedly not met for nearly 20 years. The friend allegedly told him that he could arrange a driver’s job in the Indian Air Force in return for money.

When the promised job did not materialise, the complainant reportedly discovered that the childhood friend had been detained by police in Ahmedabad in connection with a financial dispute. He then approached the police and filed a complaint.

Both matters remain under investigation, and the allegations against the accused will be tested through the legal process.