Ahmednagar police and military intelligence nab fake 'RAW' agent

The local crime branch (LCB) of the Ahmednagar Police together with the military intelligence unit of the Southern Command have arrested an impostor who was posing as an intelligence officer with RAW (the Research and Analysis wing of the Indian foreign intelligence agency).

The spurious 'RAW agent' was picked up close to Professor Colony Chowk near Samarth School in Savedi on Thursday, 22 June.

The Ahmednagar Police stated that Superintendent Rakesh Ola had received confidential information about a person masquerading as a RAW officer and that he was in possession of a fake identity card that had a government department symbol and some other incriminating documents.

Based on the information received, LCB head Dinesh Aher and military intelligence officials attached to the Southern Command laid a trap for the accused with special teams formed under the Ahmednagar SP.

When apprehended by the police team and intelligence operatives, the accused was found to be carrying a sack. He tried to flee on realising he was surrounded by the police, but was chased and arrested.

He has been identified as Santosh Atmaram Rathod (35), a resident of Divate in the Shevgaon tehsil. He apparently holds an MA degree and a B.Ed degree.

According to Ahmednagar police, when quizzed over where he worked with the army, Rathod told them that he worked with the RAW and showed the investigators an ID card.

The officials conducted a verification of the identity document and found it to be fake. Rathod then admitted that he had prepared the bogus documents to lure in aspirants who wanted to join the army.

A case has been lodged against Rathod at Topkhana Police Station under sections 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 465 (forgery), 170 (impersonating a public servant) and 171 (wearing garb or carrying a token used by public servant with fraudulent intent) of the Indian Penal Code.

On Rathod's person, the police found a mobile phone estimated to be worth Rs 10,000, the fake ID card bearing the government insignia and other bogus documents, an Aadhaar card and a voter ID card.

It is not known whether Rathod was working alone, or had accomplices. Ahmednagar SP Rakesh Ola requested that citizens immediately approach Topkhana Police if they find anybody else posing as an army official, promising recruitment in the armed forces. 

The team members who participated in the joint operation included SP Ola, additional superintendent Prashant Khaire, sub-divisional police officer Anil Katkade, police inspector Dinesh Aher, PSI Tushar Dhakrao and policemen Atul Lotke, Devendra Shelar, Ravindra Kardele, Sachin Aadbal, Vijay Thombre, Santosh Khaire, Akash Kale and Amrit Adhav.