Man posing as IAS officer held for duping job seekers in Gurugram

Acting on a tip-off, Palam Vihar police station team, led by station house officer, inspector Bijender Singh, raided a rented accommodation where Pathak was staying

Published on: Aug 11, 2025, 05:18:07 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Gurugram police on Friday arrested a 31-year-old man for allegedly impersonating an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer to extort money from people by promising government jobs, facilitating employee transfers, and misusing his fake identity to wield influence.

The accused was booked under relevant sections for charges of impersonation, cheating, and possession of forged documents, and will be produced before a court on Friday. (File photo)

The accused identified as Jai Prakash Pathak, a resident of Raghui Pur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh, has studied up to Class 12. According to police, Pathak used fake documents, a forged arms licence and a vehicle fitted with “Government of India” insignia to lure people by promising jobs or transfers, charging them large sums of money.

Acting on a tip-off, Palam Vihar police station team, led by station house officer, inspector Bijender Singh, raided a rented accommodation where Pathak was staying. He tried to escape using the rooftop but was caught.

Two identity cards, one with a lanyard marked “Ministry of Home Affairs”, an envelope linked to the transfer of an additional inspector, and a fake arms licence were recovered. “Six mobile phones, a laptop, a walkie-talkie set, an Ayushman Bharat card, three Aadhaar cards, an ATM card, a PAN card, a passport, two official seals, red and blue beacon lights, ₹2.5 lakh in cash, and a car with “Government of India” markings were also seized,” said Sandeep Kumar, Gurugram police spokesperson.

Kumar claimed to be an IAS officer from the Ministry of Home Affairs and took money from individuals in exchange for jobs or transfers, said police officers.

The accused was booked under relevant sections for charges of impersonation, cheating, and possession of forged documents, and will be produced before a court on Friday. He was remanded in police custody for two days.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Pathak is also wanted in a similar case in Uttar Pradesh, where he had allegedly posed as a senior official to defraud victims. Police are questioning him to know if he is involved in more such cases. “We are questioning him to identify his victims and to determine the extent of his network,” said a senior police officer, adding that further investigation is underway.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More

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