MEERUT, Aug. 27 -- A 36-year-old Lucknow man posing as an Army havildar was arrested in Bareilly on Wednesday for allegedly cheating more than 17 youths by promising to help them clear medical examinations for Agniveer recruitment, police said. The accused, Rajesh Tiwari, allegedly targeted candidates declared medically unfit during Agniveer recruitment, promising to get them cleared in re-medical examinations in exchange for large sums of money. Acting on information from Military Intelligence (MI), Bareilly, a joint team of Cantonment police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) arrested Tiwari. SP City Manush Parik said Tiwari allegedly targeted candidates arriving in Bareilly for re-medical examinations linked to an Agniveer recruitment drive in Almora, Uttarakhand. He had allegedly been operating near Bareilly railway station and adjoining areas since August 21. "He approached candidates arriving in the city for re-medical examinations and offered to help them secure a fitness certificate," Parik said. Police recovered a fake stamp bearing the name of the 155 Infantry Battalion TA JAK Rifles, along with a register containing candidates' names and their medical status. Tiwari allegedly used the stamp on the register and sent photographs of entries to candidates through WhatsApp. He also allegedly showed candidates fake call letters and referral forms, claiming to have contacts with Army medical staff and senior officers who could arrange medical clearance. Police said Tiwari had allegedly cheated more than 17 candidates in Bareilly and Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. His mobile phone and bank accounts revealed several suspicious transactions apparently linked to promises of securing jobs. A case has been registered at the Cantonment police station, and investigators are probing his wider network. Tiwari allegedly also promised jobs in the Territorial Army and the postal department's Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) recruitment. Police said Rs 13 lakh was allegedly transferred to a middleman for a promised postal job. His suspected associates in Punjab and Rajasthan are also being investigated. Police said Tiwari's father, Ramsukh Tiwari, was an Army havildar who retired in 2012. Tiwari allegedly used his familiarity with military recruitment procedures to gain candidates' trust. He had opened an Army training academy in Jabalpur in 2015-16, which was later shut after the introduction of the Agniveer scheme. He moved to Lucknow with his family in 2019-20....