In a joint operation, the military intelligence (Southern Command Liaison Unit) and Pune city police have arrested a man for allegedly duping 42 youths of Rs 1.8 crore in a fake army recruitment scheme. The accused, Pandurang Karale (45) from Sangli district, is facing an FIR filed by Mahesh Pandharinath Dhake, a 35-year-old farmer from Satara district.
According to reports, Karale claimed to have connections with senior army officers and offered to help candidates join the Indian Army. Dhake and others paid him Rs 6 lakh per candidate to get enlisted in the Territorial Army.
Over several months, Karale collected a total of Rs 1.8 crore from multiple candidates. The payments were made in installments at various locations, including Kondhwa in Pune, Sangli, Satara, and Tasgaon in Sangli.
Karale conducted fake medical examinations and provided phony hall tickets for a written test through WhatsApp. When Dhake pressed for more details, Karale kept delaying and failed to deliver on his promises.
As doubts grew, Dhake realized the scam and reported it to the Kondhwa police station. An FIR has been registered against Karale for cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code. The investigation is ongoing to uncover the full extent of the fraud and bring justice to the victims.