A 32-year-old man from Bihar was arrested in Mumbai for impersonating an IAS officer and enjoying the perks of the position without actually passing the rigorous UPSC exam. Chandramohan Prasad Rambali Singh, a resident of Vaishali district in Bihar, had been staying at a government guest house in Bandra East for two days before his arrest.

Singh's deception began to unravel when patrolling officers noticed his white Swift Dzire, which had a "Government of India" board displayed on the front, in Malad. On June 28, around 1 pm, police officers intercepted the vehicle near the Silver Oak Hotel in Malad's industrial estate. Singh presented an ID card identifying himself as an "Assistant Director (Security)" with the Ministry of Home Affairs, with a validity extending until 2028. However, the officers found inconsistencies in the ID, leading them to suspect its authenticity.

During interrogation at the Dahisar Crime Branch office, Singh confessed that he was not an IAS officer. He admitted that he had moved to Delhi in 2017 to prepare for the Civil Services Examination. While some of his friends cleared the exam and became IAS and IRS officers in 2022, he was unsuccessful. Facing pressure from relatives back home in Bihar, who constantly inquired about his "results," he decided to fake his success to save face.

For a three-day trip to Mumbai, Singh used a contact, a government employee, to book accommodation at the Customs Department's guest house in Bandra East. He also hired a local driver, Fardin Saifi, and instructed him to chauffeur him around the city as a visiting government officer. Singh even managed to deceive traffic police in Dadar by showing his fake IAS ID.

During a search of Singh's belongings, the police recovered the fake ID card, 16 visiting cards, two mobile phones, an Aadhaar card, a PAN card, a driving license, and some cash. The seized ID card and visiting cards featured the Indian national emblem. The police have registered an FIR against him at the Malad police station and he was produced before court on Sunday and remanded to police custody. Authorities are currently investigating his motives and what he planned to do with the false identity.

This incident highlights the misuse of government identifications and the lengths some individuals go to in order to gain social status and access privileges. The Mumbai Police are continuing their investigation to determine the full extent of Singh's activities and any potential accomplices.