Key Points:

A WOMAN has been busted in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh for posing as an Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer to get married to a man while demanding ₹40 lakh from him. On Monday, July 13, 2026, police arrested the woman identified as Sadhana, who is now in police custody. The case was reportedly registered following a complaint by her husband, identified as Abhishek.

Her husband alleges that Sadhana and her family deceived him by portraying her as an IAS officer before marriage, using fake photographs and videos on social media. Her online presence reportedly presented her in an official attire at what appeared to be government events. That was enough for Abhishek and his family, who were allegedly led to believe that she was a serving or soon-to-be-appointed IAS officer. Relatives who facilitated both families’ meeting claimed that Sadhana had cleared the prestigious civil services examination, but a court case was delaying her formal appointment. The bride’s family even promised that once she joined service, she would help secure a government job for Abhishek as well.

Misusing Fake IAS Status to Demand ₹40 Lakh from In-Laws

The couple married on February 7, 2025, after which Sadhana’s behaviour drastically changed. Abhishek, who holds a D-Pharma qualification, told Dainik Bhaskar  about the transformation in his wife. “She refused to do any household work, saying, ‘I am an IAS officer; I won’t do any work. If you trouble me, I will send everyone to jail,’” he said to reporters. The most striking change was when she reportedly assaulted Abhishek’s father, forcing the elderly man to leave the home temporarily.

The fake IAS Sadhana reportedly started making financial demands too. She allegedly took the entire ₹4 lakh given during the tilak ceremony and took possession of significant jewelry in the house—including about 15 tolas of gold and 1.5 kg of silver. She gave the reason that it was to cover the expenses related to her supposed IAS proceedings and court cases. She later pressured her in-laws to finance a hospital on a plot owned by her family in Budaun, where her brother is supposedly a doctor. 

See Also: AI-Generated Documents, Luxury Cars and  Pakistan Links: 5 People Who Were Arrested for Posing as Fake IAS and IPS Officers

Abhishek alleged that she demanded ₹20-40 lakh and insisted he sell 20 bighas of ancestral agricultural land so that he could run a medical store in his brother's proposed facility. When Abhishek’s family resisted, Sadhana allegedly threatened them with false cases.

Husband Alleges Wife Tried to Strangle Him in Sleep

Giving the detailed account to the media, Abhishek told about a shocking development in March 2026. He alleged that Sadhana attempted to strangle him while he was sleeping. He dialed the emergency number to call the police, following which a village panchayat was called upon. In front of the village elders the fake IAS reportedly promised to return the jewelry to her in-laws, but never did so.

On June 27, 2026, Abhishek finally lodged a formal complaint, leading to the registration of an FIR at Faridpur police station. The case was filed not only against Sadhana but also against her father Narendra Pal Singh, a farmer, her brother Surya Pratap, and maternal uncle Rajendra Singh. Superintendent of Police (South) Anshika Verma confirmed that Sadhana was arrested following a search operation. During interrogation, she allegedly confessed to uploading fabricated content on social media to project herself as an IAS officer.

Sadhana reportedly confessed to the investigators that she is a BSc graduate preparing for competitive government examinations. Police have invoked relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating, criminal intimidation, and assault, along with Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, which deals with cheating by personation using computer resources. Further investigation is underway to determine the involvement of other family members.

Sadhana’s family has strongly denied the allegations. Her father, Narendra Pal Singh, described the claims as baseless and expressed confidence that the truth would emerge in court. They maintain that Sadhana is a meritorious student and that she has been falsely implicated.

Suggested Reading: