Darj man with ‘Pak links’ held for posing as Army subedar
Times of India | 2 January 2026
Darjeeling: A man from Darjeeling, Bhavesh Ghatani, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly impersonating an Indian Army soldier. The arrest took place during a joint operation of military intelligence and Matigara police near a shopping mall in Matigara. Authorities said they had reason to believe Ghatani had links with Pakistan and was possibly being blackmailed by Pakistani handlers.
Law enforcement officials said Ghatani was roaming inside a retail outlet at a mall in an Indian Army uniform, posing as a subedar and displaying a para regiment badge. He was detained around 2:30 pm after he failed to produce a valid Army identity card or a document proving his affiliation to the Indian Army.
An Army official said, "During investigation it was found Ghatani attempted to obtain loans through multiple suspicious mobile applications. He also received frequent calls from Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries. Notably, financial transactions originating from Pakistani phone numbers were detected in his bank account."
The official added that further technical analysis revealed that Ghatani's phone was infected with malware and had been compromised.
"Examination of recovered audio clips and chat records indicated that he was being blackmailed by Pakistani handlers, who allegedly accessed his family photographs and entire contact list through the hacked device. The case carries serious security implications, including impersonation of Army personnel, suspected foreign financial links, cyber compromise, and possible coercion by hostile elements. Investigations are ongoing," the official added.
Matigara police said Ghatani was produced before court on Thursday. "He has been booked under BNS 168. The mobile has been sent for forensic examination to determine the extent of foreign links,," said a police officer.