A serving police sub-inspector in Maharashtra has been arrested in a startling case of examination fraud, nearly nine years after he allegedly impersonated his own brother to help him clear a crucial recruitment test. The Pune police unearthed the elaborate deception, which dates back to 2016, following a protracted investigation.
The Elaborate Impersonation Scheme
The accused has been identified as Suppadsingh Shivlal Gusinge, a native of Ambad taluka in Jalna district. According to the police, Suppadsingh and his brother, Gajanan Shivlal Gusinge, hatched a conspiracy to cheat in the Maharashtra Police recruitment process for Pune. They allegedly prepared forged identity documents to facilitate the impersonation.
The police detailed the sequence of events: Gajanan personally appeared for the physical tests held at the Shivajinagar police headquarters in Pune on April 6, 2016. However, when the written examination was conducted on April 24, 2016, it was Suppadsingh who sat for the test, pretending to be his brother.
Investigation and Arrest After Nine Years
An offence in this case was initially registered at the Bibwewadi Police Station in Pune in 2016 against Gajanan. The charges included multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) such as cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, along with provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at Examinations Act, 1982.
The breakthrough came when investigators obtained video footage of the candidates who appeared for the written examination. A meticulous probe into this video evidence revealed that the person who took the exam as Gajanan was, in fact, his brother Suppadsingh.
Ironically, Suppadsingh himself cleared the police recruitment examination through legitimate means later and joined the Maharashtra Police as a sub-inspector in 2023. At the time of his arrest, he was posted with the Pimpri Chinchwad police.
Court Proceedings and Ongoing Manhunt
The case, now being investigated by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Pune city police, led to Suppadsingh's arrest on December 1. He was apprehended from the premises of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) in Daund.
Presented before a Pune court by a team led by Assistant Police Inspector Dadasaheb Patil of the EOW, the police stated that both Gajanan and the dummy candidate had been untraceable since the offence was reported. Suppadsingh's arrest was made possible after gathering intelligence from confidential sources about his involvement. The court subsequently remanded Suppadsingh to police custody for three days.
Police officials confirmed that efforts are actively underway to locate and arrest his brother, Gajanan, who remains at large in connection with the case. This arrest highlights the long arm of the law and the police department's commitment to investigating malpractice, even if it takes nearly a decade to bring the accused to justice.
