Himachal Police Arrests Army Colonel on Charges of Fraud and Forgery

Suspected links to Pakistani intelligence agencies

Dharampur police in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district arrested an Army Colonel from Dehradun on Tuesday evening on charges of fraud and forgery. Defense officials had earlier suspected that during his posting as a Lieutenant Colonel at Dagshai Cantonment in 2023, he was involved in espionage-related activities.

The case came to light after a complaint was lodged on July 6 at Dharampur police station by a military officer, Jadhav, a resident of Dagshai. He alleged that Colonel Abhay Pissal possessed multiple forged documents—including a driving license, ration card, Aadhaar card, PAN card—and a weapon registered under the name “Tahir Mustafa.” Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR under IPC Sections 420, 467, 468 and Section 25 of the Arms Act.

According to the complaint, Pissal also possessed an unlicensed 12-bore single-barrel shotgun. The weapon and documents were seized during a probe conducted by defense officials under orders from the 95 Infantry Brigade Headquarters. Officials further alleged that Pissal was in contact with Pakistani intelligence agencies and was using forged documents such as arms licenses, ration cards, and Aadhaar cards to advance his “malicious agenda.”

Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh confirmed the arrest, stating:
“After an extensive investigation, a police team arrested Colonel Abhay Pissal (45), a resident of Satara district in Maharashtra, from Dehradun on Tuesday evening.”

He was produced before a court on Wednesday and remanded to three days of police custody. The investigation remains ongoing.

Police inquiries revealed that the seized 12-bore shotgun carried neither a valid license nor a company mark or serial number, raising suspicions among defense authorities. Pissal, who had been under suspension for 20 months, was currently posted at his unit headquarters.

During the probe, investigators discovered that he had obtained multiple identity documents under different names—Abhay Pissal, Vijay Singh, and Tahir Mustafa. These included duplicate Aadhaar cards with the same number, along with forged driving licenses, ration cards, and PAN cards. The authenticity of these documents is under verification.

SP Singh added:
“We are tracing the source of the 12-bore single-barrel gun, as it was found without a license. The methods used to fabricate the forged documents are also under investigation.”

Defense authorities separately confirmed that during his tenure at Dagshai Cantonment in 2023, Pissal was suspected of involvement in espionage. Along with forged IDs, he was also found in possession of the weapon registered under the alias “Tahir Mustafa.”