The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Military Intelligence have successfully apprehended a gang leader that cheats on unemployed youths in the name of army recruitment. Atul Mathur, who posed as a Lieutenant Commander in the Indian Navy, was arrested in Gautam Buddha Nagar. During the interrogation, Mathur confessed to luring people with false job promises and extorting money.Gang of CheatersMathur and his associates would lure unemployed youths by posing as high-ranking officers in the army. They would convince them of their authenticity and make false promises of getting a job in the Indian Army. Later, the gang would cheat people by asking for money in the name of a job. According to Mathur, they would charge 10 to 20 lakh rupees for each victim. The gang members would also retain the original copies of the victims educational certificates, caste certificates, and residence proofs.Arrest and RecoveryThe STF and Military Intelligence teams had been looking for the gang based on complaints from the public. On Wednesday, the team finally apprehended Mathur, the gangs leader. During the interrogation, Mathur revealed that his entire gang of rural youths and women were involved in the fake recruitment process. Along with Mathur, the STF and police recovered Indian Army and Indian Navy officer uniforms, stamps, pads, nameplates, canteen cards, army carry bags, cars, mobiles, chequebooks, Aadhaar cards, ID cards, and other items.Involvement of Other Gang MembersMathur confessed to his involvement in the gang and named his brother, Sunny Kumar, Brijkishore Nagla Asthar, Vipin Kumar, Amit Varshney, and Ajay alias Anil Kumar as his associates. He also named Anil Kumar, a ministerial staff in the Indian Ministry of Defence, who would create fake recruitment processes for the gang. Anil Kumar would forge candidate documents and arrange gate passes to the Ministry of Defence to mislead the victims that the recruitment was underway.Police ActionThe STF and police are raiding various locations to apprehend other gang members. A case has been filed against them in Noida Sector 113 police station, and Mathur has been booked under multiple charges related to cheating and forgery.The arrest of Atul Mathur has been a significant breakthrough for the STF and Military Intelligence in curbing the rising number of fraud cases in the country. Mathurs arrest has also exposed the gangs modus operandi, which lured innocent people in the name of army recruitment. The recovery of fake army uniforms, documents, and other items has also exposed the extent of the gangs operations. The police must continue their investigation to ensure all gang members are caught and brought to justice.
