Sun Mar 02 04:28:23 UTC 2025: ## Army Recruitment Scamster Arrested in Pune
**Pune, Maharashtra –** A joint operation between the Army’s Southern Command Military Intelligence (MI) unit and Pune city police has led to the arrest of a man allegedly running a fraudulent army recruitment scheme. Suryawanshi Nitin Balaji, from Latur district, was apprehended on Saturday near the Southern Command headquarters in Pune.
Balaji is accused of targeting prospective army recruits from economically weaker backgrounds in Maharashtra and Karnataka, promising them jobs in exchange for ₹3 lakh per candidate. Police estimate he defrauded victims of ₹5-10 lakh.
The arrest followed a complaint from a 23-year-old Nanded resident who paid ₹1.75 lakh after being contacted by Balaji at Latur railway station. Balaji, posing as an active-duty soldier, allegedly received payments in cash and through UPI transactions near the Southern Command headquarters. When the complainant inquired about his recruitment status, Balaji stopped responding.
The MI unit, having received intelligence about the scam, alerted the Bundgarden police station, leading to a coordinated investigation and Balaji’s arrest. He has been charged under sections 318(4), 218, and 219 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police are investigating to identify other potential victims. The fraudulent activities are believed to have taken place between August 2024 and March 2025.
First Piper 