A man impersonating an Indian Army soldier was apprehended near the MES gate inside the Roorkee Military Cantonment in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district on Thursday. Acting on a tip-off from Army intelligence, a joint team of the Army, local police, and intelligence agencies detained the suspect before he could move further into the restricted zone.
According to Haridwar SSP Pramod Dobhal, Army intelligence personnel first noticed the individual’s suspicious movements within the military area. Upon verification, he failed to produce valid identification, prompting immediate intervention by local authorities.
Imposter identified as Rajasthan native; forged documents recovered
The accused was identified as Surendra Kumar, a resident of Kolsiya village in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district. During the search, officials recovered 18 debit cards, a forged Army identity card, a fake joining letter, a nameplate, and the Army uniform he was wearing. Police confirmed that Kumar has no affiliation with the armed forces, and an inquiry has been initiated to determine his intent and whether he has any links to larger networks.
Past incident of Army impersonation in Maharashtra
This arrest follows a similar case from September 2025, when a 48-year-old woman, Ruchika Jain, from Sambhajinagar, was arrested for allegedly posing as a retired Army officer. She reportedly attended public functions in uniform, claiming to have served as a Captain in the Indian Army. Police later seized multiple ceremonial and combat uniforms, medals, insignia, and other Army paraphernalia from her residence.
Authorities are now examining whether the Roorkee and Sambhajinagar incidents are isolated or part of a broader pattern of impersonation targeting the armed forces.
