Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) late on Monday busted a gang impersonating Army officers and cheating people on pretext of providing jobs. Gang leader Dharmendra Pandey, resident of Chandauli district, Varanasi was arrested near Vibhuti Enclave, Braj Enclave Colony, under Bhelupur police station area.Police seized two mobile phones, three Aadhaar cards, three PAN cards, two driving licences with different addresses, three ATM cards, High School marksheets and certificate and two fake ID cards of Army.The ASP STF Field Unit Varanasi was directed to collect intelligence and take action against a gang cheating on the pretext of providing jobs in Army. A team led by Inspector Anil Kumar Singh carried out investigation. Military Intelligence officers shared information with STF Field Unit Varanasi about a gang active in districts around Varanasi. Dharmendra Pandey lived in a rented flat at Vibhuti Enclave Apartment, from where the investigation team arrested him. Pandey came in contact with criminals from Bihar running a job racket and forged an identity card of Commanding Officer, Army Intelligence Alpha-1 (Colonel) to lure job-seekers into his trap. He promised aspirants jobs in Army, railways, education department and paramilitary forces and duped them of hefty amounts of money. Lakhs of rupees are deposited in his various bank accounts he opened using fake Aadhaar cards and PAN cards. When unemployed youth did not get jobs and demanded their money back, they were told they would be given jobs in another department.A case under Sections 319(2)/318(4)/338/336(3)/340(2)/337 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against him at Bhelupur police station. Further legal proceedings will be carried out by local police.
