Meerut (The Hawk): A bogus recruit was allegedly "deployed" from July to October this year at the 108 Infantry Battalion TA (Territorial Army) "Mahar" in Pathankot 272 Transit Camp. An internal investigation into the incident has been ordered.
According to army officials, the investigation will concentrate on the security lapses that caused the breach, how the fake recruit's salary of Rs 12,500 per month was distributed to him, how he managed to avoid detection for such a prolonged period of time in the high security area, and how he obtained an Insas rifle.
The investigation will also look into the potential that other members of the staff may have been complicit in the scheme.
The news comes a day after Rahul Singh, a former sentry of the 108 Infantry Battalion TA, and Bittu Singh, one of his two accomplices, were detained in Meerut after receiving information from military intelligence (MI).
Manoj Kumar, an army hopeful from Ghaziabad, is said to have given Rahul Rs 16 lakhs in exchange for help getting a post in the army.
Manoj was brought into the centre by the accused, who had been "posted" as a sentry in the Pathankot-based 272 transit camp. He gave him a uniform and assigned him various duties, including those of a "follower," a cook, and a sentry. Rahul even went so far as to give Manoj the Insas rifle issued to him to perform duty by proxy in order to convince him that he had been "recruited."
Bittu, Rahul's accomplice, would frequently phone Manoj while dressed in full military regalia and wearing medals, and would introduce himself as a senior army officer. Manoj's "recruitment" was confirmed by Bittu.
Piyush Singh, SP city, said: "From the individuals who were caught, we seized the uniform, all of the phoney paperwork, a few stamps, as well as a weapon made in the nation. Raja Singh, the third suspect, is still at large. Based on a FIR submitted by Manoj Kumar at the Daurala police station in Meerut, all three defendants have been arrested."