The Rajkot city police have arrested a 33-year-old man for allegedly posing as a Squadron Leader of the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s Suryakiran team on Instagram and cheating a complainant of Rs 1.95 lakh on the promise of securing an Air Force job.
The accused, identified as Pratik Bhardwaj, was arrested by a team of Gandhigram-2 (University) Police Station following a technical analysis of the online fraud.
Police said the accused had created an Instagram page in the name of Pratik Bhardwaj and claimed that he was serving as a Squadron Leader in the Flying Branch of the Suryakiran team, Squadron 52, at Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka.
According to the police, Bhardwaj gained the complainant’s confidence through social media and offered to help secure a job in the Air Force.
He allegedly induced the complainant to transfer money online in instalments to bank accounts, with the total amount reaching Rs 1.95 lakh.
A case was registered at Gandhigram-2 (University) Police Station under Sections 318(4), 319(2) and 204 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.
“The investigation was conducted under the supervision of Police Inspector K K Gohil, with Assistant Sub -Inspector (ASI) Sanjaybhai Thakar, Police Head Constable Rahul Thakur, Police Constable Savanbhai Vasoya and Traffic Regulation Brigade personnel Hemangbhai Rajeshbhai involved in the probe,” officials said.
