Haldwani Man Arrested for Posing as Para SF Major With AI-Generated Army Photos

Haldwani police in Uttarakhand have arrested a 20-year-old man accused of posing online as a Major of the Indian Army’s Para Special Forces by using artificial intelligence to generate fake photographs of himself in uniform.

The accused, Rohit Singh Mehta, was taken into custody after a joint operation by Military Intelligence and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Nainital Police. Investigators said he had never served in the Indian Army and was employed at a Birla Opus Paints warehouse in Haldwani.

According to police, Mehta created a detailed false identity on social media by downloading photographs of serving and former Army officers from the internet and other platforms, then using AI-based image-editing tools to replace their faces with his own. The manipulated images made it appear as though he was an officer and commando of the Para Special Forces.

The altered photographs and videos were then uploaded to Instagram, Facebook and other social-media platforms, where he allegedly presented himself as a Para SF Major. Police also recovered what appeared to be a fabricated Indian Army identity card.

Investigators said the motive appeared to be a mix of online popularity and personal attention. During questioning, Mehta allegedly admitted that he wanted to boost likes, comments, shares and followers by projecting himself as an elite Army officer, and that he also hoped to impress women.

Police further alleged that he used the fake military persona to approach and influence young women online, with the AI-generated images lending credibility to his claim that he was serving with the Army’s Para Special Forces.

The case came to light on September 1, when Military Intelligence personnel alerted Nainital Police’s SOG about an individual named Rohit Singh Mehta who was circulating images portraying himself as a Para commando while using what appeared to be a fraudulent military identity.

Officials checked his background and found no record showing that he had ever served in the Indian Army. Following the intelligence input, Nainital Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Manjunath T.C. directed SOG in-charge Mohan Singh Saun and his team to track down the suspect.

The team traced the mobile number linked to Mehta’s online activity and located him at the Birla Opus warehouse in Haldwani, where he worked. He was then taken into custody and questioned by investigators.

During the search, police recovered two smartphones, Mehta’s Aadhaar and PAN cards, photographs and videos showing him in an Army officer’s uniform, and a document suspected to be a fake Army identity card.

Police said Mehta later acknowledged during interrogation that the military images were fabricated. He reportedly told investigators that he had downloaded genuine photographs of Army personnel and used AI tools to morph them by placing his face onto officers dressed in military and Para SF attire.

Nainital SSP Manjunath T.C. said the district police had received intelligence about an individual uploading a fake military identity and photographs depicting himself as a Para commando, after which the joint investigation led to Mehta’s identification and arrest.

A case has been registered against him under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to impersonation, fraudulent representation and the use of a false identity. The exact sections cited in the FIR have not yet been publicly detailed in available reports. After the arrest and completion of initial legal formalities, he was sent to jail.

The case reflects a growing challenge for law-enforcement and military-intelligence agencies, as increasingly sophisticated AI image-generation and face-manipulation tools make it easier to fabricate convincing pictures of people wearing military uniforms or claiming ranks they never earned.

Such impersonation is especially sensitive when it involves the armed forces, where uniforms, ranks, insignia and identity documents can create a false appearance of official authority. The use of the Para Special Forces identity adds another layer of concern, since Para SF units are among the Indian Army’s specialised combat formations.

The September case is separate from another impersonation incident reported in Haldwani in April 2026, when a different person allegedly wore an Army uniform in public and claimed to be a Major before being identified by a serving officer and arrested. In the latest case, investigators said the deception was carried out mainly online through AI-manipulated photographs and social-media accounts rather than through a physical appearance in uniform.

Police said further investigation may establish how long the fabricated identity was used, how many people Mehta contacted while posing as an Army officer, and whether any additional offences were committed through the impersonation.