STF nabs man accused of duping youths on pretext of Army jobs

LUCKNOW The UP Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday arrested the mastermind of an organised gang accused of duping two dozen youths of crores of rupees by issuing forged Army joining letters in the name of recruitment. The man, Ravikant Yadav, 25, a resident of Chandauli, was nabbed in Lucknow’s Vibhuti Khand area, stated officials.

The man allegedly cheated 24 candidates of a total amount of ₹1.12 crore on the pretext of Army recruitment, according to an STF release.

A complaint was filed by one Sher Singh at Mau Darwaza police station in Farrukhabad on October 28, 2023, stating that Ravikant Yadav, posing as a colonel in the Indian Army, along with one Dhruv Kumar Rajput, promised recruitment on nursing and Agniveer posts. “Fake joining letters were issued and the victims were duped,” they stated.

During interrogation, Ravikant told police that he had previously served in the Indian Army as a soldier after completing high school in 2018. In 2021, he went on leave and falsely claimed to villagers that he was a ‘colonel’ and could get others recruited. He initially duped four youths of ₹20 lakh, using fake letters, and was arrested and jailed in Chandauli for the same.

Later, he was also presented before a court in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, in connection with another case. After securing bail in both cases, he resigned from the Army in December 2022 by paying ₹11.85 lakh in recovery dues, read the STF press note.

“In 2023, his associate Dhruv, a serving subedar in the Army, introduced him to Sher Singh and others in Farrukhabad. Ravikant then allegedly took ₹11 lakh per candidate for nursing roles and ₹5 lakh for Agniveer posts. The money was paid via bank transfers, UPI, and cash. Later, when candidates tried to verify their joining letters, they found them to be fake,” said police.