Days after the Madhya Pradesh police arrested a man for pretending to be an IAS officer in Indore, another case of impersonation and fraud has reportedly been busted in Bhopal. At the centre of the scam is a woman named Tripti Singh Rajput who has been accused of collecting money from people by using her fake identity card of an IAS officer.
Rajput conned people and extorted money while posing as an IAS officer working as the Additional Director in the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department, the Indian Express reported. She was exposed after an Instagram reel caught the attention of the Bhopal Police.
The case shines light on a rise in cases of individuals posing as fake IAS officer and using forged documents for financial or personal gains. Recent cases across Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar reveal how social media, fake credentials and fabricated government links are being used to deceive unsuspecting people.
Bhopal woman duped people of lakhs
The case in Bhopal came to light after police began investigating an Instagram reel. In the purported video, three women claimed that they were IAS officers and were filming the vlog outside the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. "We have come here to attend the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. Since they don’t allow photography inside, we decided to film this outside," one of the women was quoted as saying. Another woman said, "Looking at our antics, no one can tell we are IAS officers."
{{/usCountry}}The case in Bhopal came to light after police began investigating an Instagram reel. In the purported video, three women claimed that they were IAS officers and were filming the vlog outside the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. "We have come here to attend the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. Since they don’t allow photography inside, we decided to film this outside," one of the women was quoted as saying. Another woman said, "Looking at our antics, no one can tell we are IAS officers."
{{/usCountry}}The third woman in the reel was Tripti Singh Rajput, who, the other two later alleged, had asked them to act like IAS officers. Bhopal Police investigation also revealed that the reel was not shot outside the Vidhan Sabha, but at a gallery inside the Anthropological Museum complex.
Rajput allegedly collected lakhs from people on the pretext of helping them get government jobs, tourism-property leases and access to officials. To make her deception more convincing, Rajput allegedly used fake government IDs, letterheads, joining documents, trophies and a vehicle marked 'Government of India'.
Police arrested her and her brother, and identified suspected suppliers of fake documents. They are examining deleted laptop files, financial transactions, phone records and possible accomplices to uncover the wider network.
Gujarat man arrested in Indore
This comes two days after the Madhya Pradesh Police arrested 28-year-old Himanshu Panchal for allegedly posing as an IAS officer in Indore. Panchal reportedly hosted a party for 16 guests at a five-star hotel and left without paying the bill, telling staff that his PA would settle it later.
Police later found a fake nameplate identifying him as “IAS Raj Soni, District Collector” at his rented home. Panchal, a resident of Ahmedabad, could not produce documents proving his IAS credentials. A cheating case is also registered against him in Gujarat.
Fake IAS officer flees with ₹15 lakh dowry
A man from Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly posed as an IAS officer to deceive a woman into marriage and duped her off ₹15 lakh, which he accepted as dowry, news agency PTI reported. Identified as Pritam Kumar Nishad, he reportedly met the woman through a matrimonial group and shared fake interview videos, office images and photographs with politicians to establish his credentials.
Although he initially claimed he would marry without dowry, her family allegedly paid ₹10 lakh during the engagement and ₹5 lakh on the wedding day. After the marriage, the fraud was exposed when relatives learned he was not an IAS officer. Nishad and his sister, who are on the run, have been booked for cheating, forgery and dowry harassment.
Bihar man poses as IAS officer
Police in Bihar’s Khagaria district arrested Manish Gupta, earlier in August, for allegedly posing as an IAS officer and claiming to work as an undercover agent under National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. During interrogation, Gupta reportedly produced a Central Vigilance Commission card and a fake IAS identity card, both of which police found to be false.
A search of his residence led to the seizure of a Tesla car, an SUV, more than 31 litres of imported liquor and other luxury items. Police are investigating his activities, the source of the fake documents and whether others were involved in helping him impersonate a senior government official.