Vadodara: Investigations into the fake Indian Air force (IAF) jobs racket has revealed involvement of a senior army officer as well.
Niraj Suthar, who was arrested by the cybercrime cell, told the cops that an army officer was the mastermind of the cheating racket. The police, however, said that it is investigating Suthar’s claims. He was remanded to one day of police custody on Thursday.
“During questioning, Suthar said that he had met a senior army officer at Ahmedabad airport. This officer had told Suthar about vacancies in IAF. Suthar said that he was told by the officer to find out job aspirants and offer work in IAF,” said Ajaysinh Gohil, police sub-inspector, cybercrime cell.
“Suthar said that the army officer had given him fake appointment letters and other documents. He also claimed that the money he took from the victims was handed over to the army officer,” Gohil told TOI. Suthar was arrested by the cops on Wednesday for cheating five persons off Rs 56 lakh by promising them job in IAF.
Suthar is a former National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadet and he used to train the cadets. He used to introduce himself as an IAF employee to aspirants looking for the job. He used to tell them that he knows IAF officials and that he could get them job in IAF if the aspirants pay up a certain amount.
He had access to the NCC office near Kirti Stambh and in Harni air-force station. He used to keep taking money and then ask the job aspirants to do small time jobs at NCC office near Kirti Stambh. The accused also gave fake appointment letters of IAF and payslips to the victims.
His con job came to light in December last year when one of the victims Nirav Patel approached the police and filed a complaint. Patel told the police that he had paid Rs 19 lakh to Suthar in instalments and was waiting since 2014 to get a job in IAF. The accused gave Patel army’s fatigue t-shirt, pants, belt and boots apart from sky blue colour shirt, white cap and shoes. In 2015, Suthar even gave an appointment letter of civil staff department signed by a commanding officer to Patel who later realized that he was being conned.