Man held for posing as IPS official, duping, threatening people

The suspect, identified as Gaurav Mishra, of Greater Noida, holds a BTech in mechanical engineering from a Lucknow college and delivers groceries for an online store.

The police on Wednesday arrested a 29-year-old engineer from Noida for allegedly posing as an Indian Police Services (IPS) officer and citing his influence with bureaucrats to con people on the pretext of procuring them a plot. Police said he was arrested by Noida Police last month and brought here on production remand for a day, for his alleged involvement in extorting ₹9 lakh from a Sector 82 resident.

Police said he was arrested by Noida Police last month and brought here on production remand for a day, for his alleged involvement in extorting ₹9 lakh from a Sector 82 resident. (Representative image)

The suspect, identified as Gaurav Mishra, of Greater Noida, holds a BTech in mechanical engineering from a Lucknow college and delivers groceries for an online store. Police said an investigation revealed that Mishra has been impersonating as an IPS officer for several years to con people. He had allegedly taken money from people in five instances in Noida, Hapur and Gurugram, on the pretext of arranging a property deal. Mishra bragged about contacts in the bureaucracy and government to avoid paying for meals at restaurants and hotels.

Rajesh Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Manesar, said that Mishra was first arrested in 2012 for impersonating an IPS officer, during a routine checking of vehicles in Noida. “He was preparing for the UPSC civil services examination. It is not certain if he appeared for it. He used the training to hone his personality and used to tell everyone that he was an IPS of Uttar Pradesh cadre. He told people that his wife was also a civil servant,” Kumar said.

He was taken in for questioning and arrested, after he allegedly confessed to impersonating an officer. He was then released on bail.

Lal Singh, in-charge, Vatika police post, said that in August, Mishra and his brother-in-law were arrested for allegedly making phone calls to government officials to carry out specific works in their favour. “Mishra claimed to be an IPS officer but did not have an identity card. He and his brother-in-law called police officials in Noida and threatened to transfer them if they did not facilitate their work,” he said.

Police said a complaint was received in 2018 from a resident of Sector 82 against Mishra, following which an FIR was registered under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at Kherki Daula police station.

The complainant told the police that he had received a phone call in 2014 from a man claiming to be an inspector, who told him that his former colleague in a private company, Gaurav Mishra, is now an IPS officer. “I spoke to him over the phone and he told me that after leaving the company, he had cleared the civil services in 2012 and was now posted at the INA headquarters in Delhi. I met him and his aide in a pub on MG Road, where he said that his wife was also an IAS officer from Haryana cadre. The aide wore the uniform of a UP policeman and claimed to be his PRO. Mishra carried a gun and claimed to have received it from the home minister, upon completion of his training,” the complainant said in the FIR.

Police said Mishra met a friend of the victim’s and offered to arrange a 100 square yard plot from him in a society in Greater Noida, saying that his wife and brother-in-law are partners in the project. Over the next two years, Mishra took ₹9 lakh from the man and his friend, but stopped responding to their calls later. He had allegedly threatened the complainant when he visited his house.

Mishra was produced in a district court on Thursday and sent to judicial custody.