Ex-chief secretary’s son posed as IPS, RAW and army officer, swindled lakhs; arrested

Police said Yashovardhan, a retired IAS officer’s son, wanted to become an IPS officer but could not clear UPSC’s civi services exam despite multiple attempts

Updated on: Jul 16, 2026, 21:44:09 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi, Dehradun

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The Dehradun police on Thursday announced the arrest of R Yashovardhan, 35, the son of a retired Uttarakhand chief secretary, accusing him of using fabricated government identities to swindle his victims.

Yashovardhan was arrested during an operation at the Civil Services Institute intersection on the Mussoorie Road on Thursday

To his victims, police said Yashovardhan had presented himself as an officer of the Indian Police Service, the Indian Army, and the external spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

He was arrested during an operation at the Civil Services Institute intersection on the Mussoorie Road on Thursday, said Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Pramendra Dobhal, adding that they began looking for Yashovardhan after complaints were filed over the past two weeks.

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The first complaint was lodged on July 8 by Anshul Upadhyay, a resident of Dakra Bazar in Dehradun, who alleged that the accused, posing as a senior government official, called him to a hotel near Sai Mandir and took ₹15 lakh from him after promising to fast-track a corporate registration.

The second complaint was filed on July 15 by Dr Anusha, who alleged that Yashovardhan introduced himself as an IPS officer and promised to get her a job as a data science consultant in the defence ministry.

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Yashovardhan’s father, S Ramaswamy, was an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1986 batch and was the state’s chief secretary from December 2016 to October 2017.

Ramaswamy could not be reached for comment, and calls to his mobile phone went unanswered.

Dobhal said Yashovardhan allegedly targeted job seekers and businesspersons by promising government jobs, assistance in securing tenders and expedited official clearances.

Five fake identity cards, eight fake visiting cards, 25 police and Army insignia, three pairs of Army and paramilitary uniforms, three fake service ribbons, a wireless set and a laptop have been seized from his possession, said Dobhal.

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He said Yashovardhan allegedly targeted job seekers and businesspersons by promising government jobs, assistance in securing tenders and expedited official clearances. “His polished communication skills, official-looking attire, and forged credentials helped him easily convince victims that he was an active-duty officer,” the SSP added.

Dobhal said Yashovardhan had always wanted to join the Indian Police Service (IPS). But he did not make the cut despite several attempts at the Civil Services Examination conducted by the public service recruiter, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

At some point, he began impersonating senior officials to get a sense of satisfaction and exploit people’s trust, Dobhal said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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