Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A retired soldier from Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli district was duped of 15 lakh rupees by a man posing as an Army Colonel who promised to secure a job for his son in the Army on Tuesday.
The victim, Bhupendra Pandey, had taken his son Nikhil to Lucknow in October 2025 for a nursing assistant recruitment drive.
When Nikhil failed the running test, a man in Army uniform approached them, identifying himself as Colonel S.N. Rao, and offered to get Nikhil recruited in exchange for ₹15 lakh.
First payment in Lucknow, second in Gwalior
Bhupendra paid ₹7.5 lakh as the first installment in Lucknow believing the imposter. He reached Gwalior outside the Army recruitment office in Murar as instructed on 17 November where the accused collected the remaining amount in cash and later through online transfer. He also stamped fake Army seals on documents and called the family to Lucknow for joining on 4 December.
The fraudster further lured Bhupendra, his brother, and brother-in-law with promises of positions in Military Engineering Services, issuing all three fake joining letters. Shortly after, his phone was switched off.
The victims visited the Murar military office on 28 November,, where they learned that no such recruitment or officer existed.
They approached the Gwalior SSP office after realising the fraud. ASP Anu Beniwal forwarded them to Murar police station, where a case has now been registered and an investigation is underway.
