Days after a civilian employee at the National Defence Academy (NDA) died allegedly by suicide, a joint investigation by the Military Intelligence (MI) unit of the Indian Army’s Southern Command and the Pune city police Thursday revealed that he was linked to men allegedly involved in a fake recruitment racket.
The police said Mayur Chandrakant Pawar, 32, working as a cadet orderly at the NDA, Khadakwasla, was found dead on the academy campus on January 8. From a purported suicide note, the police initially suspected that he had taken the extreme step due to financial issues.
The police, with the help of the MI, arrested Pawar’s friend, Swapnil Murlidhar Gaikwad, 33, a former NDA staffer now posted at a defence establishment in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in connection with a recruitment racket.
Dinesh Rathod, 37, a shop owner from Ram Nagar, Yerwada, and a relative of Pawar, lodged the First Information Report (FIR) in this case at the Lakshmi Nagar police station in Pune city on January 20.
Offer of sub-engineer job in Railways for Rs 8 lakh
As per the FIR, complainant Rathod runs an “optical shop” in Vishrantwad and his wife holds a degree in electronic engineering.
The FIR stated that in August 2023, Pawar, along with Swapnil Gaikwad, visited Rathod’s home. Gaikwad allegedly offered a job as a “sub-engineer” in the Railways to Rathod’s wife through a friend, Sagar Digambar Patil, 35. Gaikwad claimed that Patil works as a personal assistant of a minister in Mantralaya, the FIR noted.
Speaking to Rathod over the phone, Patil allegedly assured him that he would secure his wife a job in the Railways within six months, for a payment of Rs 8 lakh. Rathod arranged money with the family’s help. Rathod then told Mayur Pawar that Rs 8 lakh would be deposited in his bank account and that he should transfer it to Gaikwad, as per the FIR.
Pawar allegedly asked Rathod to think properly before giving the money. But Rathod believed that Gaikwad, being an NDA staffer with Pawar, would not cheat them, the FIR stated.
After receiving Rs 8 lakh, Pawar allegedly transferred Rs 5.5 lakh to Sagar Patil’s bank account as per Gaikwad’s instructions. Again, Gaikwad assured Pawar that he would provide jobs in the Railways to more people, as per the FIR.
Rathod and his two cousins allegedly paid Rs 19.15 lakh (some in cash and the rest in bank accounts) to Gaikwad Patil, but did not secure the assured jobs.
Fake list of people recruited to NDA
The FIR stated that Gaikwad allegedly sent a list of people to Pawar on WhatsApp, claiming he had recruited them into the NDA. Pawar forwarded the same list to Rathod, who verified it and found that none of them were recruited into the NDA.
Rathod then went to Gaikwad’s workplace in Ahmedabad and spoke to his senior officers. The FIR said that Gaikwad returned Rs 5 lakh to Rathod but did not pay the remaining amount of Rs 14.15 lakh.
After Pawar’s death by suicide, Rathod lodged an FIR against Gaikwad and Patil under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 318 (4)[cheating], and 3 (5) [common intention].
MI officials confirmed that Gaikwad was picked up from Ahmedabad and brought to Pune Thursday for further investigation. MI sources said Gaikwad’s request for transfer from NDA, Kahdakwasla, was approved by the Army authorities in February 2024, and he was then posted at a defence establishment in Ahmedabad.
According to the MI, a probe so far revealed that Gaikwad and Patil have cheated at least three candidates by accepting Rs 24 lakh from them on false promises of government jobs. Search is on for Patil, who hails from Jalgaon.
The police are investigating whether more people, including defence employees, are involved in the alleged scam. A probe is also on to know whether the accused have cheated more people.
A man working as a cadet orderly at the NDA was found dead (File photo). 
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