Lucknow: A fugitive soldier and manager of the Mission Defense Academy, near CRPF Camp in Bijnor police station area of Lucknow were arrested by a team of STF on the charges of rigging soldier recruitment process by preparing fake selection letter or by guaranteeing examinees to get their medical test cleared on Sunday.
Those arrested were identified as Pawan Raj of Bakshi Ka Talab, Lucknow and
Satish Yadav Mohanlalganj in Lucknow. Pawan Raj was posted in Army Medical Core in 2017 and ran away from the Indian Army Court of Inquiry after he was named in a complaint against him.
Additional SP, STF, Vishal Vikram Singh, said that the arrest came during a joint operation of STF UP and Military Intelligence, Lucknow. The team recovered nine Call Letters, five stamps, Admit Cards, two Aadhar Cards, PAN card, Educational Certificate and other documents.
The arrest of the miscreant was the constant tab of the joint team of STF and Military Intelligence on the gang whose two court-martialled soldiers were arrested in 2020, said Singh.
“We were keeping a tab on the members of the above said gang and came to know that the manager of Mission Defense Academy in Bijnor police station area of the Lucknow police Commissionerate and an army soldier, was doing the work of extorting money on a large scale by getting the candidates in the Indian Army to pass the medical test/by issuing forged appointment letters,” said ASP Singh.
Later the name of the prime accused Pawanraj, a soldier who had fled from court of Inquiry and in whose bank account Rs 89 lakh earned through illegal means, was found stashed, said the STF.
It further surfaced that Pawanraj was absconding since the court of Inquiry against him. The team was further tipped off that both the culprits were to reach Eco Garden in Alambagh from CRPF camp in Bijnor and a trap was laid to arrest them, the officer added.
In his confession, Pawanraj said that in the year-2017, during his Army Medical Corps Lucknow posting, he met Santosh Suryavanshi and Swapnil and learnt the art from them. He said he took charge of the gang after Suryavanshi and Swapnil went to jail after a court martial and came in contact with Mission Defense Academy Manager Satish Yadav. He said he and Satish were to give fake selection letters to three candidates but were arrested. He further said he donned army uniform to win the trust of the examinees, ASP Vishal Vikram added.
