Impersonator booted out of Indian Military Academy

Dehradun, Dec 9 (IANS) A man who was shunted out of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, after failing a physical fitness test impersonated his brother and succeeded in re-entering the academy - but his bluff was called and he was booted out once again, the police said.

Sanjeev Yadav, now in police custody, was selected through a Services Selection Board (SSB) examination in 2005. During the rigorous training at the IMA, he failed in the second round of the swimming test and was sent back.

He, however, did not lose hope.

Sanjeev Yadav, the middle of Meerut-based Major (retd) S.R. Yadav's three sons, again appeared before the SSB examination in April 2008 - this time as Deepak Yadav, his younger brother who is working in Pune, the police said.

Sanjeev Yadav apparently replaced his photograph with that of Deepak on the application form and also attached testimonials of his brother.

When a police officer reached his home for verification, he presented himself as Deepak and showed the testimonials of his brother. The police duly submitted their report in the name of Deepak.

He got selected again and began his training at the IMA in April with new batchmates who did not know about his past.

But a friend of his from an earlier batch spotted him and alerted authorities, leading to his arrest.

'Sanjeev Yadav has been arrested for the grave offence of cheating the Indian Army. We have booked him under sections 467, 468 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),' Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Sinha said here Tuesday.

Sanjeev was arrested on the complaint of IMA officer Capt. H.S. Singh, he added.