Mainpuri, UP — A massive fake army recruitment scam has been uncovered in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district, where a fraudulent training centre operated for over four years, deceiving hundreds of youths from multiple states with false promises of military and government jobs.
The centre, spread across a 30-bigha rented plot near Bidhuna crossing, was run by Arvind Kumar Pandey — who falsely claimed to be a retired Army captain and doctor — along with his assistant, Sumitra Senapati. The operation used army flags, fake officers in uniform, and official-looking documents to create an illusion of legitimacy.
Each candidate was charged ₹2–3 lakh, lured by the promise of guaranteed employment in the Army or other security forces. Victims received fake appointment letters, uniforms, ID cards, and in some cases, were placed in low-paying private security jobs. Over 400 youths from Telangana, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Odisha are confirmed to have been duped, with the estimated fraud amounting to ₹18–19 crore.
The scam was exposed after a complaint by a youth from Telangana led Kishani police and a surveillance team to raid the centre. Pandey and Senapati were arrested, while five other accomplices remain absconding. Fake documents, national emblems, medical certificates, lease papers, and rubber stamps were seized from the site.
Authorities revealed that Pandey has a history of fraud, including scams linked to a toothpaste brand and a beauty contest. The accused now face charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Indian National Emblem Act, and the Private Security Agencies Regulation Act. Army Intelligence has joined the investigation to assess the full scale and possible regional links of the racket.
