LUCKNOW: A man posing as an Army captain was caught in the restricted helipad area of Namo Ghat in Varanasi on Sunday, ahead of an air show attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Security personnel detained the man after becoming suspicious of his activities.
During the initial questioning, he identified himself as Captain Arpit and gave an address near PWD Colony in Jadid Bazar, under the jurisdiction of the Cantt police station.
However, checks of Army records and his address failed to establish his claimed rank.
Police and administrative officials, along with personnel from the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) and the Air Force, reached the spot and took him into custody.
Given the sensitivity of the matter, he was taken to the office of a senior Varanasi Police Commissionerate officer, where intelligence personnel questioned him for several hours.
He was subsequently identified as Arpit Chaturvedi, a resident of the Nadesar area of Varanasi. According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Kashi), his father runs a pathology centre in the city.
An FIR was registered against Chaturvedi at Adampur police station on a complaint by Chandan Kumar, in-charge of the Namo Ghat police outpost. The report states that the police have filed a charge sheet against him.
An investigation is underway to determine why Chaturvedi posed as an Army officer and how he entered the restricted area. Security and intelligence agencies are also gathering information about the incident.
The air show, titled ‘Wings Over Ganga’, featured 100 aircraft, including 52 fighter jets such as the Rafale and Sukhoi. It was organised to mark the Indian Air Force’s 94th Raising Day. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also attended the event.
Modi inaugurated the Rs 100-crore Arvind Textile Mill in Roopapur before holding a 7-km roadshow from Police Lines to Namo Ghat.