Jodhpur, August 25, 2026: In a joint operation by the Indian Army’s Military Intelligence unit and Jodhpur Police, a 26-year-old man posing as a Captain in Army Intelligence was arrested from a restaurant in the Ratanada area on Monday while wearing a full Army officer’s uniform. Police and Army sources say the accused, identified as Sagar Guleria, a deserter former Army clerk from Jalandhar in Punjab, had been systematically cheating serving Army jawans and others of crores of rupees by promising heavily subsidised loans through the Army Group Insurance Fund (AGIF).
The arrest followed specific inputs from the Army’s Military Intelligence unit in Jodhpur that a man in a Captain’s uniform had been moving around the Army area and Ratanada locality for several days, apparently looking for targets. Acting on the information, Jodhpur Police Commissioner Anshuman Bhomia directed action. A special team under Sub-Inspector Khet Singh of the Jodhpur East District Special Team, supervised by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Narendra Singh Deora and Deputy Commissioner of Police Manish Choudhary, located Guleria at Sukh Sagar Restaurant in Ratanada. He was detained red-handed in uniform. A fake identity card of the Southern Command Intelligence Battalion was recovered from him, along with an Army uniform and digital material on his mobile phone that police say contains incriminating evidence.
Accused’s Background: Deserter Clerk Turned Impostor
Preliminary interrogation and verification revealed that Sagar Guleria, son of Suresh Kumar and a resident of Ujala Nagar in Jalandhar, Punjab, had earlier served as a clerk in the Indian Army. He was posted with the 50th Light Air Defence Regiment at Panagarh Army Cantonment in West Bengal. He absconded from his unit on or around August 25, 2024, and was subsequently declared a deserter/absconder. His previous clerical role gave him familiarity with Army paperwork, procedures related to the Army Group Insurance Fund, uniform protocols, and the mannerisms of officers — knowledge he allegedly exploited to build credibility while impersonating a Military Intelligence Captain.
Guleria had a prior criminal history linked to similar fraud. He was earlier arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Panchkula, Haryana, in a case in which an Army naik and his wife were cheated of ₹17.5 lakh. He jumped bail and continued operating. Police say cases connected to him have been registered in multiple states, including Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, and others.
Modus Operandi: Fake Subsidised Loans via AGIF
According to investigators, Guleria’s primary method involved approaching serving Army personnel while dressed as a Captain associated with Military Intelligence. He offered to arrange personal or home loans with substantial subsidies purportedly available through the Army Group Insurance Fund. Once a loan was sanctioned and credited to the victim’s account, he would instruct the jawan to transfer the entire amount to accounts controlled by him or his associates, claiming it was required to process the subsidy. He assured the victims that the subsidised amount would be returned later. In several cases, accounts of victims were later blocked or further contact was cut off.
Police and Army sources state that the total amount involved runs into crores of rupees. Specific instances cited in preliminary findings include:
- An Army personnel posted in Bhuj, Gujarat, allegedly defrauded of ₹15.5 lakh.
- The earlier Panchkula case involving ₹17.5 lakh from an Army couple.
- Cases registered or under probe in SAS Nagar (Punjab), Siliguri (West Bengal), and other locations.
Investigators have also found that Guleria targeted women, posing as an Army officer. Digital examination of his mobile phone reportedly revealed material linked to several such victims. Police have so far linked him to at least seven cheating complaints and eight online cybercrime complaints registered across Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, J&K, and West Bengal. Transactions worth lakhs of rupees through bank accounts and mobile numbers allegedly used by him are under scrutiny.
ADCP Narendra Singh Deora confirmed that Guleria initially identified himself as “Captain Sagar Guleria” during questioning. Army Intelligence personnel participated in the interrogation. When asked about possible anti-national activities, Deora stated that the matter remains under investigation. Police are examining digital evidence, bank trails, documents, and any possible network of associates.
Broader Context and Implications for Defence Personnel
The case highlights a recurring vulnerability: the trust that serving soldiers often place in individuals who appear to hold rank or authority within the military system. Fraudsters exploiting the name of Army Group Insurance Fund benefits or other welfare schemes have been reported in different parts of the country in recent years. In this instance, the accused’s genuine prior service as a clerk and his knowledge of internal procedures made the deception more convincing.
Army Intelligence’s proactive input and the swift joint response by Jodhpur Police prevented further activity in a sensitive military station area. Officials emphasised that impersonation of military ranks, especially Intelligence officers, is treated with seriousness both for the financial harm caused to personnel and for the potential security implications of unauthorised individuals operating near defence establishments in uniform.
Further investigation is underway to identify all victims, freeze linked bank accounts, and determine the full scale of the fraud. Police have appealed to Army personnel and civilians who may have been approached with similar loan or subsidy offers by anyone claiming to be an Intelligence officer to come forward and report the matter.
The accused is currently in custody and is being questioned by both civil police and Army Intelligence. Additional cases are expected to be registered as more victims surface and digital forensics progress.
This incident serves as a reminder for defence personnel to verify the credentials of anyone claiming official Army status, especially when financial transactions or loan facilitation are involved, and to route all welfare-related queries only through authorised channels of their units or the Army Group Insurance Fund.
