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

WHILE MANY INDIAN STUDENTS spend years to crack the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) and Indian Police Services (IPS) exams, some find an illegal route to cash in the benefits of the role without the hard work. From just enjoying the amenities of the government post to allegedly having deeper foreign links, the following individuals impersonated as fake civil servants and did anything but serve the civilians.

While these individuals were eventually busted, it still raises questions in the administration, or lack thereof, that has made it so easy to impersonate high-rank officials without legitimate credentials or qualifications. These accused were arrested after posing as IAS and IPS officers for six months to two years, while enjoying luxuries worth of lakhs during that time. If just corrupt officials sitting at the government post weren't enough, now we have these fake officers who exploit the corrupt positions just as much.

Lalit Kumar was arrested on December 10, 2025, in Uttar Pradesh for impersonating as an IAS officer. He was allegedly running a multi-state fraud racket using AI-generated documents and forged government credentials. According to police, Lalit is a resident of Sitamarhi district in Bihar, but was impersonating as IAS Gaurav Kumar, cheating at least 40 people across multiple states. 

During investigation it was found that Kumar was using AI-generated newspaper clippings, fake tender documents, and doctored photographs along with strong social media presence to gain credibility. He even traveled in beacon-fitted vehicles with forged government nameplates, and hired 10 gunmen at a monthly salary of ₹30,000. During the probe, police recovered two mobile phones, containing Kumar’s chats with four women who all believed him to be a real IAS officer. It was found that one woman in Bihar was found to be legally married to him while the other three were pregnant.

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A 45-year-old woman was arrested in Maharashtra on November 22, 2025, for pretending to be an IAS officer for nearly six months. The woman identified as Kalpana Trimbakrao Bhagwat was reportedly living at a luxury hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, during this period. According to police investigation, she was found to have potential links to individuals in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

She was staying at a 5-star hotel using a tampered Aadhar card and a forged IAS appointment letter from the 2017 Civil Services Examination. During a police investigation of her hotel room, it was found she was receiving money from sources in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other countries. In December 2025, it was reported that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) were probing whether she had any links to the November 10 Delhi Car Blast near Red Fort. Initial investigation revealed that she had photographs and contacts of people believed to be linked to the incident on her phone.

Bathini Shashikanth, 39, reportedly posed as a senior government officer for over two years, defrauding people of lakhs of rupees. He was arrested on November 22, 2025 by the Film Nagar Police in Telangana. The police alleged that Shashikanth was imposing as IAS, IPS, and NIC officer to gain public credibility and offering official favors to citizens in exchange of money.

The owner of Gold Gym, Ali Hassan, lodged a complaint against Shashikanth after the former alleged that he was cheated of ₹10.5 lakh for procuring industrial land. Hassan alleged that after the money was exchanged, the fake IAS officer absconded. Shashikanth was arrested shortly after the complaint from his temporary residence in Telangana. During the investigation, police seized two mobile phones, six SIM cards, two walkie-talkies and a fake identity card.

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The 38-year-old fake IAS officer was arrested while trying to threaten officials on duty in September 2025. Saurabh Tripathi had allegedly got inside official meetings and restricted offices while pretending to be a government official. In Uttar Pradesh, he allegedly impersonated as the special secretary in the state government, while outside the state he claimed he was a secretary in the central government.

The police investigation found that Tripathi drove high-end luxury cars, including Range Rover Defender, Mercedes-Benz, three Innova, and a Toyota Fortuner. All vehicles had beacon, along with fake government number plates and secretariat passes. The Wazirabad Police arrested Tripathi while he was trying to carry out his con at a vehicle check near Kargil Shaheed Park. His vague threats were seen as suspicious by the officers on duty, who complained to the police.

Zoya Khan, 37, was arrested on February 2, 2023, for impersonationg as an IPS officer. The police found a counterfeit IAS badge, seven live and two blank cartridges, a gun-shaped lighter and some fake documents during her arrest. She was allegedly wearing an IPS badge, a blue cap with IPS logo and an army camouflage jacket. 

After further probe from a Special Investigation Team (SIT), she was also found to have beacon lights, an ATM card, and forged documents. She was reportedly caught after she demanded a pilot vehicle from the police station near Sahara Mall in Sector 29, Gurugram to reach Manesar. Khan allegedly used a mobile app to change her voice over the phone when calling the station, but was arrested shortly after the request.

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