Hyderabad, October 9, 2026: Begumpet police have taken into custody a Bihar native who was allegedly found in an Indian Air Force uniform at the Secunderabad Parade Ground, and investigators say he is suspected of using the photographs on social media to gain the trust of women.
According to a police account reported by Deccan Chronicle, the man was identified as Nitesh Kumar Pal, originally from Bihar, working as a delivery agent in Hyderabad and living in Neredmet. The Times of India, quoting Begumpet police, identified the accused as Nitin. Reports have also used the spellings Nitish Kumar and Nitesh Kumar Paul. Police have not publicly released his age.
Apprehension at Parade Ground
Begumpet police told Deccan Chronicle that the man was apprehended near Parade Ground, Secunderabad, on October 7 at about 1:45 pm. He had entered the ground in uniform and was moving about taking photographs. Military personnel on duty grew suspicious of his conduct, detained him, and, after questioning, found that he was not an Air Force officer. He was then handed over to Begumpet police.
The Times of India, reporting the custody as having taken place on Thursday, gave a fuller account of the interception. Army security personnel stationed at Parade Grounds spotted him in an Air Force uniform. He initially appeared to be a serving officer, but his answers during questioning were unsatisfactory and he began to fumble. When confronted further, he allegedly tried to flee, was caught and restrained, and was handed over to Begumpet police. During questioning he allegedly admitted that he was a civilian and had been posing as an Air Force officer.
Suspected social-media fraud
Begumpet Inspector P. Saidulu told The Times of India that the uniforms indicated impersonation of an Air Marshal and a Wing Commander.
“Going by the uniform, an officer of that rank will not move alone and come to the ground like any other common man. His intention was to cheat women by posting the photographs on social media. He has been doing it for the last two months. So far, there are no victims from our state and information is being gathered if he had cheated any girl from other states,” Saidulu said.
Deccan Chronicle reported that an examination of his phone showed he had been befriending women on Instagram while claiming to be an Air Force officer. Officials suspect he went to the Parade Ground to obtain photographs that could be used to impress and trap more women. Police said his social media accounts are being examined to establish whether he cheated, or attempted to cheat, women in other states. No victim from Telangana has been identified so far, and no monetary loss has been reported in the accounts available.
A case has been registered at Begumpet police station. Further investigation is under way. The precise sections invoked have not been stated in the reports cited.
What remains unverified
Police have not disclosed how the uniform was obtained, whether more than one uniform was seized, or whether any restricted area was entered. They have also not confirmed any completed financial fraud linked to this accused. The two-month period of alleged impersonation, the ranks indicated by the uniform, and the Instagram contacts are findings attributed to the police investigation and remain subject to verification.
The case is distinct from the September 2026 Rajkot arrest of Prateek Bharadwaj, a travel-agency employee accused of posing on Instagram as a Squadron Leader of the Suryakiran Aerobatics Team and taking ₹1.95 lakh from a woman on a false promise of Air Force recruitment.
Recruitment to the Indian Air Force is conducted only through notified official channels. Serving officers do not solicit money, documents, or personal relationships through social-media accounts built on uniform photographs. Anyone approached in this manner is advised to verify the claim through official Air Force or police channels and to report it on the national cyber helpline 1930.
