Ahmednagar, June 23, 2023: In a successful joint operation carried out by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Ahmednagar District Police and the Army’s Southern Command Military Intelligence (MI) in Pune, an impostor who had been falsely posing as a RAW intelligence agent has been arrested. The arrest came after the suspect was found to be in possession of counterfeit identity cards, badges, and documents.
The ongoing investigation aims to determine the motive behind the impersonation. The timely arrest of the impostor has effectively averted potential security breaches that could have resulted from his possession of fraudulent identification, stated an official.
Acting on reliable information provided by the Military Intelligence, Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ola instructed Police Inspector Dinesh Aher from the Local Crime Branch to verify the suspect’s identity and take appropriate legal measures. A dedicated team, comprising officers from both the Local Crime Branch and Military Intelligence, was assembled to carry out the operation.
On the evening of June 22nd, the team confronted the suspect at Samarth School in Professor Colony Chowk, Savedi, Ahmednagar. The impostor, disguised in a red T-shirt and blue jeans, was carrying a sack at the time. As the team prepared to apprehend him, the suspect attempted to flee but was swiftly pursued and captured.
Identifying himself as Santosh Atmaram Rathod, a 35-year-old resident of Divate in Shevgaon taluka, Ahmednagar district, the impostor claimed to be an officer from the Intelligence Department of the Army. However, upon verifying the suspect’s identity card and documents, both the police and military officers confirmed their falsified nature. The Military Intelligence team further corroborated that Santosh Atmaram Rathod was not serving in the army.
A case has been filed against the impostor at Tofkhana Police Station in Ahmednagar for the possession of forged documents, including an identity card and a mobile phone valued at Rs 10,000. It was revealed that the accused had completed an MA and B.Ed. degree.
The successful operation was conducted under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ola, Additional Superintendent of Police Prashant Khaire, and Sub Divisional Police Officer Anil Katkade. The dedicated team involved in the operation included Police Inspector Dinesh Aher, PSI Tushar Dhakrao, and police personnel Atul Lotke, Devendra Shelar, Ravindra Kardele, Sachin Aadbal, Vij
