Panchkula, September 17 (UNI): An Army deserter has been arrested on charges of cheating a serving soldier posted at Chandimandir Cantonment of ₹10 lakh after posing as an Army personnel and an AGIF clerk and promising a substantial subsidy on a personal loan, police said.
The accused has been identified as Sagar Guleria, a resident of Jalandhar in Punjab. He was arrested in a case registered at Chandimandir Police Station. Police stated that 12 similar financial fraud cases have been registered against him across Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. Guleria has also been declared a deserter from the Army.
According to Tajinder Pal Singh, in-charge of the Economic Offences Wing-1, the soldier lodged a complaint on May 1. The complainant told investigators that Guleria approached him near Joshi Enclave on February 6, introduced himself as an Army man and AGIF clerk, and offered to arrange a subsidy of ₹7 lakh on a ₹10-lakh loan and ₹15 lakh on a ₹20-lakh loan.
Police said the accused obtained the soldier’s Aadhaar card, PAN card, canteen card, salary slip and other documents through WhatsApp. He also persuaded the complainant to share one-time passwords, claiming they were required to complete an online loan application. A loan of ₹10 lakh was subsequently credited to the soldier’s SBI salary account on February 9. Guleria then allegedly obtained YONO login details and another OTP and transferred the entire amount to bank accounts linked to his associates. He initially promised to return the money but later began avoiding the complainant.
DCP Panchkula Aditi Singh said investigators secured bank records related to the transactions. Following his arrest, the accused was produced before a court and remanded in police custody for one day. Police added that efforts are under way to recover the defrauded amount and to examine the wider network connected to the transfers.
