Fake Army Captain Arrested in Jodhpur for Crores-Rupee AGIF Loan Fraud Targeting Jawans

Jodhpur, August 25, 2026: A 26-year-old man who allegedly posed as a Captain in Army Intelligence was arrested in Jodhpur on Monday in a joint operation by the Indian Army’s Military Intelligence unit and Jodhpur Police. The accused, identified as Sagar Guleria, is said to be a deserter former Army clerk from Jalandhar in Punjab who allegedly cheated serving Army personnel and others of crores of rupees by promising heavily subsidised loans through the Army Group Insurance Fund (AGIF).

Police said the arrest came after Military Intelligence in Jodhpur alerted them that a man wearing a Captain’s uniform had been moving around the Army area and the Ratanada locality for several days and appeared to be looking for potential targets. Acting on the input, Police Commissioner Anshuman Bhomia ordered immediate action. A special team led by Sub-Inspector Khet Singh of the Jodhpur East District Special Team, under the supervision of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Narendra Singh Deora and Deputy Commissioner of Police Manish Choudhary, tracked him to Sukh Sagar Restaurant in Ratanada, where he was detained while in uniform.

During the search, police recovered a fake identity card of the Southern Command Intelligence Battalion, an Army uniform and digital material from his mobile phone that investigators say contains incriminating evidence. Army Intelligence personnel also took part in the questioning that followed.

Former Army clerk who allegedly turned to impersonation

Preliminary verification showed that Guleria is the son of Suresh Kumar and a resident of Ujala Nagar in Jalandhar, Punjab. He had earlier served as a clerk in the Indian Army and was posted with the 50th Light Air Defence Regiment at Panagarh Army Cantonment in West Bengal. Officials said he absconded from his unit on or around August 25, 2024, and was later declared a deserter or absconder.

Investigators believe his clerical background helped him carry out the alleged fraud. Because he had worked inside the Army system, he was familiar with paperwork, the functioning of the Army Group Insurance Fund, uniform rules and the mannerisms of officers. Police say he used that knowledge to appear convincing while presenting himself as a Military Intelligence Captain.

Guleria is also said to have a prior criminal record in similar cases. He was earlier arrested by the Economic Offences Wing in Panchkula, Haryana, in a case in which an Army naik and his wife were cheated of ₹17.5 lakh. Police said he later jumped bail and continued operating. Cases linked to him have been registered in several states, including Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal.

How the alleged scam worked

According to investigators, Guleria’s alleged method was to approach serving Army personnel while dressed as an officer attached to Military Intelligence and offer to arrange personal or home loans with heavy subsidies said to be available through AGIF. Once a loan was sanctioned and the money credited to the victim’s account, he allegedly instructed the jawan to transfer the full amount to accounts controlled by him or his associates, claiming the transfer was needed to process the subsidy. Victims were assured that the subsidised sum would be returned later, but in several cases contact was cut off or the victims’ accounts were blocked.

Police and Army sources said the total amount involved in the wider fraud runs into crores of rupees. In the preliminary findings, investigators cited several specific complaints, including one from an Army personnel posted in Bhuj, Gujarat, who was allegedly cheated of ₹15.5 lakh, and the earlier Panchkula case involving ₹17.5 lakh from an Army couple. They also said cases are being examined or have already been registered in SAS Nagar in Punjab, Siliguri in West Bengal and other locations.

Investigators have also found indications that women were among those targeted, with Guleria allegedly posing as an Army officer to gain trust. A digital examination of his mobile phone reportedly turned up material linked to several such victims. Police have so far connected him to at least seven cheating complaints and eight online cybercrime complaints across Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal. Transactions worth lakhs of rupees through bank accounts and mobile numbers allegedly used by him are now under scrutiny.

ADCP Narendra Singh Deora said Guleria initially identified himself as “Captain Sagar Guleria” during questioning. Asked whether the matter had any link to anti-national activity, Deora said it remains under investigation. Police are examining digital evidence, bank trails, documents and the possibility of an associated network.

Security concerns and wider pattern of fraud

The case points to a familiar vulnerability within military circles: the confidence many serving soldiers place in people who appear to hold rank or official authority. In different parts of the country, fraudsters have previously exploited the name of Army welfare schemes, including AGIF-related benefits, to lure personnel into financial transactions.

In this case, investigators say Guleria’s real Army background and knowledge of internal procedures made the impersonation more believable. Officials said the quick response to the Military Intelligence input prevented further activity in a sensitive military station area and helped stop what they described as a potentially wider racket.

Police said further investigation is continuing to identify all victims, freeze accounts linked to the transactions and determine the full extent of the alleged fraud. Army personnel and civilians who may have been approached by anyone claiming to be an Intelligence officer have been asked to come forward and report the matter.

The accused is currently in custody and is being questioned by civil police and Army Intelligence. Officials said more cases are likely to be added as additional victims are identified and digital forensic analysis advances.

Authorities have urged defence personnel to verify the credentials of anyone claiming to be from the Army, particularly where loans, subsidies or other financial transactions are involved, and to use only authorised unit channels or the Army Group Insurance Fund for welfare-related queries.