New Delhi:
A 40-year-old man was arrested for pretending to be an Air Force officer in order to obtain a special airport pass that is not available to the general public.
Firoz Gandhi, a resident of the Geeta Colony in Delhi, arrived at the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) office on Tuesday by posing as a wing commander and tried his Aerodrome Entry Pass (AEP), which gives access to restricted areas, to renew. said the police.
In 2019, the man, Firoz Gandhi, obtained the AEP by submitting forged documents and it was set to expire in November this year, they said.
He wanted to renew the pass because he was fascinated by the uniform of the Indian Air Force officers, they said.
On Wednesday, the BCAS filed a complaint with the police station of Indira Gandhi International Airport alleging that a man had approached the office and claimed to be a wing commander, a senior police official said.
The BCAS received its AEP application, which was to be forwarded through the Indian Air Force on the biometric portal of the centralized access control system, the officer said.
“During IAF verification, his credentials were found to be questionable. Firoz Gandhi was detained on Wednesday when he came to collect his pass,” IGI Airport Deputy Commissioner of Police Tanu Sharma said he was handed over to the police and a case was filed against him registered, she said.
During the interrogation, Firoz Gandhi revealed that he had joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC) air wing in 2005 as an aero modeling instructor and worked there until 2018.
“He was always fascinated by the uniform of the Air Force officers and he discreetly bought such uniforms for himself,” the officer said.
According to the police, Firoz Gandhi is currently working on a contract basis as a liaison officer with Bal Bhawan, Vikas Marg.
During a search of his premises, 19 stamps from various authorities, two IAF officer uniforms, four ID cards and three IAF diaries were recovered, police said.
Firoz Gandhi has a car with an IAF sticker. He also had car passes from various government agencies, they said.
DCP Sharma said an investigation is underway to find out how he gained access to the seized items and the AEP three years ago.
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