Faridabad Man Held in Ambala for Posing as IAF Officer, Targeting Agniveer Aspirants
Ambala police have arrested a Faridabad resident for allegedly posing as an Indian Air Force officer and trying to cheat Agniveer aspirants by promising help in clearing their medical examinations during an ongoing Indian Army recruitment rally in Ambala Cantonment.
The accused has been identified as Vishnu Kumar, a resident of Jeewan Nagar in Ballabhgarh, Faridabad. Police said he was apprehended near Raina Auditorium, close to Kharga Stadium, where the Agniveer recruitment process was underway. Investigators also said Kumar runs a coaching institute called Soldier Academy in the Ballabhgarh area.
According to police, the accused allegedly contacted defence aspirants and their families and claimed that he could arrange medical clearances and help them secure selection into the Indian Army in return for money. The case came to light after Military Intelligence reportedly received information about the suspected fraud on October 18, 2026.
During the initial contact, the suspect allegedly introduced himself as Ravi and said a person he referred to as “doctor saab” could arrange the required medical clearance. He later agreed to come to Ambala on October 29, police said.
Based on the information shared by Military Intelligence, a team from the Topkhana Police Post laid a trap near Raina Auditorium and found a silver Maruti Suzuki Swift car allegedly being used by the suspect. Vishnu Kumar was then taken into custody.
A search of the accused led to the recovery of a fake Indian Air Force identity card issued in the name of Iqbal Khan, bearing Kumar’s photograph. Police also found a forged Aadhaar card in the same name.
A further search of the vehicle yielded two smartphones, original and photocopied Class 10 and Class 12 certificates, and admit cards belonging to several Agniveer candidates. The documents reportedly belonged to aspirants from Ambala, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Delhi and Rajasthan.
Police also recovered cheques amounting to roughly ₹2.5 lakh to ₹3 lakh. In all, documents belonging to more than ten candidates were found in the accused’s possession, prompting concern that several job seekers may have been targeted in the alleged recruitment scam.
An FIR has been registered at Ambala Cantonment Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including offences related to cheating by impersonation, forgery, fraudulent inducement and using forged documents as genuine.
Ambala Cantonment Police Station in-charge Dharmbir Singh said the accused is being questioned to determine how many candidates were approached or cheated and whether any other people were involved in the suspected racket.
The arrest came during the Agniveer recruitment rally at Kharga Stadium, where candidates from several districts of Haryana and Chandigarh have been taking part in the selection process.
The case has again drawn attention to recruitment frauds that target young people seeking careers in the armed forces. In September 2026, police in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, had uncovered a similar racket and arrested five people for allegedly promising candidates help in clearing physical and medical examinations.
Recruitment into the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme is based on prescribed eligibility criteria, physical fitness standards, medical examinations and merit-based selection. No private person, coaching institute or self-styled military official is authorised to guarantee selection or arrange medical clearance for money.
Police said the investigation is continuing to establish the full extent of the alleged fraud and identify any additional suspects linked to the case.
