Chandigarh, January 7
An army jawan staying at the private house of a serving brigadier in Panchkula as a caretaker has allegedly duped a number of persons aspiring to joining the Army worth lakhs of rupees.
According to complaints lodged with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the jawan took Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh each from the aspirants, promising to get them enrolled into the army through a senior officer. The jawan is now said to be posted in the north-east, while the brigadier is serving in Delhi.
“We received several complaints in this regard, but they have been forwarded to Army’s vigilance authorities in New Delhi as it would be appropriate for them to first investigate the matter involving its personnel from several people,” Mahesh Aggarwal, Superintendent of Police, CBI, Chandigarh told The Tribune today.
One of the complainants who resides near the Chandimandir military Station said that his son came in contact with the jawan through a street vendor in the Industrial Area where he used to take lunch. Later they went to the brigadier’s house to meet the jawan where he pretended to conduct some tests and take the aspirant’s physical measurements. Neither the officer nor his family members were said to be present at the house.
He took a demand draft of Rs 35,000, drawn in the favour of a lady while the remaining money was paid in cash, the complainant claimed. Later he even gave them a photocopy of a letter claiming that it these were the joining instructions issued by the Army.
The complainants alleged that after giving them the letter, the jawan took some of the aspirants to Secunderabad, where they were supposed to join, but once there pretended that there was some technical hitch and them took them to Shimla for a few days. There he repeated the same ruse, which aroused suspicion.
CBI officers were of the opinion that it appeared the chances of connivance of other officers in the episode were low. The complainants said that they have also spoken to the brigadier about the episode.
