How did Rajasthan's ATS bust a fake ex-servicemen racket with 28 arrests?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 28 individuals were arrested for posing as ex-servicemen.
- The fraud involved forged Army retirement documents.
- They secured jobs at the Food Corporation of India.
- Investigation revealed payments of Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 for fake documents.
- ATS suspects a larger network behind this operation.
Jaipur, Oct 10 (NationPress) The Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) apprehended 28 individuals masquerading as ex-servicemen who had deceitfully acquired positions as security guards at the Food Corporation of India (FCI) by using forged Army retirement documents.
According to IG (ATS) Vikas Kumar, FCI requires that 90% of its security staff be former Army personnel.
Acting on intelligence, ATS initiated an investigation, uncovering that numerous guards were utilizing counterfeit ex-servicemen certificates to secure employment through a private security firm.
“In a meticulously orchestrated operation, ATS executed a mock drill at 31 FCI depots across Kota, Bhilwara, Udaipur, and Banswara,” he noted.
He mentioned that under this pretext, all security guards were gathered and instructed to present their Army retirement documentation for verification.
Following a comprehensive examination, 28 guards were identified as having submitted forged documents, including fake ID cards claiming to be retired Army personnel.
“These suspects were immediately detained and their counterfeit documents confiscated. The investigation revealed that each fake ex-serviceman had paid between Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 to acquire fraudulent Army documentation,” he stated.
Once employed at FCI, earning salaries exceeding Rs 21,000 monthly, they were remitting monthly fees of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 to brokers who facilitated their jobs.
“Some of the accused had been employed at FCI for 3-4 years, indicating the depth of this racket. ATS suspects a larger network is at play and is actively probing its scope,” he said. The ATS has registered three cases to date and anticipates additional arrests as the investigation continues. Authorities reported that this operation forms part of a wider crackdown on document fraud and corruption in security hiring.
IG (ATS) Vikas Kumar disclosed that among those detained are: Bahadur Singh Bhati, Narendra Singh Natwar, Ramprasad Meena, Yashpal Singh, Kalu Singh, Bholuraam, Rajesh Singh, Gopal Singh, Himmat Singh, Vijay Singh, Pappu Singh, Kumer Singh, Sumer Singh, Atrup Singh, Chandraprakash Meena, Ramsamujh Yadav, Devendra Singh, Raghunandan Singh Hada, Mahendra Kumar Meena, Siyaram Meena, Haricharan Meena, Mahesh, Rajhans, Dinesh Singh, Gajendra Singh, Mohan Singh, Raju Singh Bhati, and others.