Police have arrested a 31-year-old man for allegedly posing as an IAS officer and duping several people of more than ₹60 lakh on the pretext of getting them jobs in the army and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The suspect was living in Burari area of Delhi for the last one year. (Sourced)
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The suspect was identified as Roshan Pandey, a native of Bihar. More than 20 cases are registered against the suspect in several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh, police said, adding that he was living in Burari area of Delhi for the last one year.
According to police, Vikesh Kumar Gupta, a native of Ranchi in Jharkhand who lives in a rented accommodation in Jharsa village in Gurugram, had filed a complaint at Sadar police station against the suspect last month. Gupta, who works at a private bank in Gurugram, said that he met the suspect through his colleague in January, said police.
In his complaint, Gupta said that the suspect identified himself as Roshan Pandey, working as a joint secretary in the Union ministry of home affairs, and promised him to get him and his brother-in-law a job in the army and the DRDO through an IAS quota and took over ₹85,000 from him.
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Aman Yadav, assistant commissioner of police (Sadar), said that Gupta trusted the suspect as he had uploaded his picture on WhatsApp with a government ID card. “To gain his trust, the suspect had taken all relevant documents from Gupta and used to share the latest development, but never got him a job,” he said.
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Aman Yadav, assistant commissioner of police (Sadar), said that Gupta trusted the suspect as he had uploaded his picture on WhatsApp with a government ID card. “To gain his trust, the suspect had taken all relevant documents from Gupta and used to share the latest development, but never got him a job,” he said.
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Yadav said the suspect took the money between January and July this year. “We were already conducting an investigation against Pandey. He was arrested from Gurugram on Friday night, and was taken on two-day police remand after being produced before the court on Saturday,” he said.
Police said Pandey cheated people on the pretext of getting them government jobs for a salary of ₹85,000 per month. After taking money from the victims, Pandey would email fake appointment letters to them, police said.
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Some of the appointment letters read that the jobs were at offices of the DRDO and the Indian Army, Yadav said.
A case was registered against Pandey under IPC sections 171 (wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent), 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of a valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 472 (counterfeiting seal) at Sadar police station on Friday night.
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.
