Army Recruitment Scam Busted: ₹20 Lakh Deals, Inter-State Racket Exposed in Meerut

Meerut: In a major breakthrough, Military Intelligence has exposed an inter-state recruitment scam in Meerut, where an organised gang was cheating unemployed youth by promising guaranteed selection in the Indian Army. The racket, active across multiple states, allegedly struck deals worth ₹15–20 lakh per candidate under the pretext of clearing Territorial Army recruitment exams.

The operation came to light on Sunday during the written examination for the Territorial Army held at an Army School in Meerut. Acting on prior intelligence inputs, Military Intelligence teams were deployed around the examination centre. During routine verification, irregularities were found in the documents of several candidates. A detailed probe revealed that 19 aspirants were carrying forged admit cards.

Of these, 16 youths were identified as victims of the scam, while three key accused were arrested on the spot. The arrested individuals were later identified as Rohit, a resident of Hapur, along with his associates Harjit and Bijender.

Promise of Guaranteed Selection

During interrogation, the victims told investigators that Rohit had assured them of clearing the written examination in exchange for money. Based on this disclosure, Military Intelligence immediately detained Rohit, who subsequently revealed the involvement of his accomplices.

Investigations indicate that this was not an isolated incident but part of a well-planned and long-running organised crime network targeting army recruitment drives.

Money Taken During Physical Tests

According to sources, the gang had initially collected large sums of money during the Territorial Army physical (running) tests conducted in December 2025. When several candidates failed to qualify, the accused allegedly lured them again by promising success in the written examination. For the January 18 re-test, the youths were provided with forged documents and sent to appear for the exam, where they were eventually caught.

Deals Worth ₹15–20 Lakh

Preliminary findings suggest that the racket extended far beyond Meerut and western Uttar Pradesh. The main kingpins—identified as Dharmendra, Satish and Pratap—were allegedly operating from Farrukhabad and negotiating deals ranging between ₹15 lakh and ₹20 lakh per candidate.

The scam followed a structured payment model: an initial token amount of ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh was collected, followed by repeated demands for money under various pretexts.

Fake Documents Prepared in Delhi

While payments were allegedly collected in Farrukhabad, the forged documents were prepared in Delhi. Sources claim that Pradeep Rathi, Deep Hooda and another individual posing as an advocate were responsible for producing fake admit cards and related documents, which were then handed over to Rohit for distribution.

Investigators also revealed that Rohit had previously worked as a temporary labourer with an Army unit in Roorkee, performing tasks such as logistics support and kitchen duties. This association gave him the appearance and confidence of an army insider, helping him gain the trust of unsuspecting aspirants.

Digital Evidence Under Scrutiny

Military Intelligence and the Crime Branch are now jointly examining the mobile phones and digital records of the accused. Officials believe that the ongoing investigation will uncover links to a much larger national-level syndicate involved in recruitment fraud.

Authorities have assured that further arrests are likely, and strict action will be taken against all those involved in exploiting the aspirations of young job seekers in the name of serving the nation.