Indian army detains 21-year-old fake brigadier in UP’s Shahjahanpur; here’s what we know

The Indian Army recently launched an elaborate sting operation in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur and detained a 21-year-old man who was allegedly posing as a high-ranking military official and wearing a military uniform.

The Hindustan Times on Saturday reported that Indian Army personnel laid an elaborate trap to catch the fake brigadier, who would allegedly travel around Shahjahanpur and nearby districts posing as a senior Army official in a Brigadier’s uniform.

Here’s what we know

The accused has been identified as Aryan Verma. Citing officials, the report added that there had been several inputs about his movement in military uniform in and around the city, and Army officials had been tracking him since April. Verma, who was always keen to present himself as a high-ranking official dressed as a Brigadier, was invited by Army officials, who posed as civilians, to speak to young candidates preparing for recruitment exams and motivate them. A fake programme was also organised at the Shaheed Museum located in the Shahjahanpur Cantonment area.

On Friday morning, the 21-year-old showed up at the venue and donned his Brigadier uniform in an SUV, following which he was detained immediately. According to officials, Verma’s uniform was adorned with military stars and flags associated with senior officers.

Accused had a driver and bodyguards

Verma’s arrest revealed the extent of the deception he had allegedly maintained. Authorities recovered a forged government identification card from his driver at the time of his detention. Investigators also discovered that he routinely travelled with two bodyguards, whom he is accused of presenting as National Security Guard (NSG) commandos. By portraying himself as a senior military official, Verma allegedly claimed he had been assigned special security protection.

Along with his uniform, the 21-year-old also carried a fake pistol and a regimental cane to complete his ruse, all of which were seized from him. He even carried an ID card, which purportedly had the seal of the dean of the Armed Forces Medical College. Officials suspect the ID card was also forged.

What did the officials find out?

After recovering his documents, officials found that Verma was 21 years old and had been staying in Delhi. He had reportedly been preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), the entrance examination for medical studies, and had allegedly failed the test multiple times.

However, the motive behind Verma’s act of posing as an Army official remains unclear. An Army intelligence team from Bareilly has now taken over the investigation and is trying to ascertain the same. They are also trying to understand the extent of Verma’s ruse, how he acquired a fake ID and a uniform, and whether more people were involved in the act.

Verma is currently being questioned by Army officials. After the interrogation is completed, he will be transferred to police custody, where a First Information Report (FIR) will be registered and a detailed investigation initiated, Superintendent of Police Saurabh Dixit said.

Officials said Verma’s father works in the horticulture department, while his mother is employed as a school teacher.