[ Prem Chetry ]
TAWANG, 2 Nov: A case of impersonation has stunned Tawang town after police arrested one Sangey Choyu (32) for posing as an Indian Army soldier under the fictitious identity of Naik Lobsang Wangdi Kee from the 9 Assam Regiment in Tawang district.
According to police, Choyu, a resident of Lipakphu village in Kalaktang, used this false identity to marry two women – one from Pamghar in Lumla subdivision and another from Famla, Tawang – and has a child with one of them.
“The deception came to light when one of his wives lodged an FIR,” said Inspector Niyi Angu, officer-in-charge of the police station-cum-women police station, Tawang, adding that the complaint triggered a detailed inquiry by the Tawang police in coordination with the military intelligence. Investigators later confirmed that no soldier by the name Lobsang Wangdi Kee existed in official Army records.
Choyu was apprehended by the police on the night of 30 October from the residence of one of his wives. He has been charged under Section 69/168/319(2) of the BNS, 2023 for impersonation, cheating, and sexual intercourse by deceitful means.
Inspector Angu stated that once the military intelligence confirmed the fraud, the accused’s phone was placed under surveillance, which led to his arrest.
The operation was carried out by a team led by the OC Angu, comprising SI Lham Thinley, SI Tsering Rinchin, Head Constable Pema Khandu, Lady Head Constable Dawa Chomu, and members of the women police station Rigi Taku, Lham Drema, Tenzin Nyima, and Tenzin Phuntso.
Investigations revealed that Choyu had worked as an Army porter in 2019. He allegedly exploited this connection by taking photographs and making videos in uniform, wearing bulletproof vests, caps, and carrying weapons, which he later used to support his false identity. He admitted to fabricating identity cards and getting uniforms stitched in Tezpur and Tawang. Both marriages were reportedly initiated through contacts made on Facebook.
Inspector Angu further disclosed that Choyu’s parents and brother have publicly disowned him, revealing that he was previously involved in a fraud case worth approximately Rs 54-59 lakh. His family was forced to mortgage and sell their properties and borrow from friends to repay the debt.
In addition, he reportedly borrowed Rs 9.96 lakh from his father-in-law in Pamghar village.
The police have also seized a forged marriage certificate, registered at a Delhi notary under his alias, which lacked the required signatures.
Meanwhile, Inspector Angu appealed to young women to remain cautious while interacting online. “Do not trust people you meet on social media without verifying their real identity,” she advised. “It is always better to be cautious now than to regret later.”
